The prime suspect in the murder of a 19-year-old woman in Ennis, Co Clare, is now believed to have absconded following the discovery of a car belonging to the victim's family at Cork Airport.
The car, a Toyota Carina, was due to be examined by members of the Garda Technical Unit yesterday. It is believed the person who abandoned it may now be in Britain. Supt John Kerin, of Ennis Garda Station, said no motive had yet been established for the murder.
A post-mortem on the teenager, named as Lorraine O'Connor, the only daughter of Michael and Anne O'Connor of Showgrounds Road, Ennis, was carried out by the assistant State pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, at Limerick's Mid-Western Regional Hospital yesterday evening following a preliminary examination in Ennis, where the body was found on Tuesday evening.
The early indications were that she was strangled sometime on Sunday morning before her body was hidden under a bed in a friend's apartment at Fergus Close in the town centre.
Ms O'Connor worked at McCarthy's pub, which is being leased by her elder brother, Derrick. She had one other brother.
Ms O'Connor's parents contacted the garda∅ on Sunday night after their daughter failed to arrive home with the family car. A number of "missing person" notices were left with taxi companies in the town by the family on Monday.
Yesterday afternoon, friends of Ms O'Connor left flowers at the door outside the apartment at Fergus Close. Afterwards, they gathered at the Brewery pub on Abbey Street, which was formerly leased by the O'Connor family and is yards from where the murder took place.
One friend said that Ms O'Connor had been due to do an apprenticeship with a beautician. "She was well liked by a lot of people. She loved to do bar work. I met her through bar work," she said.
Ms O'Connor had completed the Leaving Cert Applied course at Colβiste Muire in 1999 before doing a post-Leaving Cert course. The school principal, Ms Jean Pound, said she knew Ms O'Connor from a social education class. "It is very shocking when you know somebody and remember them well and the circumstances are so shocking."
Father Paul Ryan said the community was shocked and the family devastated. "The family thought it was very strange that there was no contact. They were immediately suspicious because Lorraine was very, very close to her mother, Anne, and told her everything. They knew something was wrong and now their worst fears have been realised."
A file is being prepared for the DPP by Ennis garda∅ following the death yesterday of Mr Alan O'Donnell (20), from the village of Crusheen. Mr O'Donnell had been assaulted in a nightclub in Queen's Hotel in Ennis on Saturday night. After arriving home, he fell into a coma and was brought to University Hospital, Cork. An Ennis man arrested on Tuesday was later released without charge. Garda∅ are appealing for witnesses to the assault to come forward.