Margaret "Meg" Walsh, the woman taken from the River Suir in Waterford on Sunday after being missing for a fortnight, knew her killer, gardaí said today.
Officers revealed this morning that they know who dumped her car at a pub more than a mile from her home.
Ms Walsh's silver Mitsubishi Carisma saloon car was abandoned after she disappeared. A work colleague reported her missing on Monday, October 2nd and her car was found days later in the Uluru car park almost a mile away in the Ardkeen area of the city. A bloodstained mat was also recovered near the car.
Margaret Walsh
Gardaí believe that her death may have been a tragic accident. They appealed for her killer to come forward and give themself up.
Superintendent Dave Sheahan, who is leading the inquiry, said detectives had made significant progress in the last 24 hours.
A specialist dog team, which helped in the Soham murders investigation, will search Ms Walsh's house in the Ballinakill Downs area again today. One of the dogs is used to detect blood while the others trace scents.
It is hoped that the police dogs, known as the Scent Article Method Dog Team, will help trace Ms Walsh's final movements and material which could provide clues as to how and where she died.
Five police officers from Wales and four dogs spent several hours yesterday searching the two-storey house Ms Walsh shared with her husband, John O'Brien.
A number of items from the home have been sent to the Garda Forensic Science Laboratory in Dublin for analysis.
It is understood that Ms Walsh, originally from Fermoy, Co Cork, had previously told friends she felt in danger and had made an assault complaint to gardai.
Her 17-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, Sasha Keating, and her brother, James Walsh, last week made a plea for information on her whereabouts.