Gardaí in Dublin believe the man found shot dead in Finglas yesterday may be linked to an escalating feud involving people from the area.
The victim died in a gangland-style attack. He was hooded and is thought to have been shot several times. The chief suspect is believed to have been involved in killing one of three men who have been shot as part of the feud in Finglas and Ballymun so far this year.
The dead man, who was from Finglas and in his 20s, had been missing since Monday. While his disappearance had been reported to gardaí, it is understood a search had yet to be launched for him.
However, a detective working in another location on the north side of the city this week got a tip-off that a murder, which had not yet come to light, had been carried out in the Finglas area in recent days and that the body had been dumped. The detective passed on this information to gardaí in Finglas. They immediately began an extensive search in a number of locations. The body was found concealed in thick undergrowth at 1.15 p.m. yesterday at an area known as the Trench, Scribblestown Lane.
The deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, examined it at the scene and was due to carry out a full post-mortem last night.
Gardaí appealed yesterday to the public for help in their investigations.
The chief suspect for the city's latest killing is well known to gardaí in Finglas, as are his associates.
The man now lives just outside the north inner city. He is believed to be involved in the drugs trade and has a reputation for extreme violence. He was recently suspected of involvement in another killing - one of three linked murders in Finglas and Ballymun this year.
However, the man found dead yesterday was not a major criminal. While his suspected killer has been linked to the Finglas feud, it is not clear how the latest victim became involved in the dispute.
Michael Scott (25) was the first victim of the feud. He died during a gun attack at his flat in Ballymun on April 19th. Willie O'Regan was shot dead on June 10th in what gardaí believe was a revenge attack at his home on Old Cabra Road, Finglas.
On July 9th, Victor Murphy from Finglas was found at Dunsink Lane. It is believed he was shot accidentally when in a car with other men. At least one of the men in the car was involved in the feud which claimed the lives of O'Regan and Scott.
