GARDAI in Tralee, Co Kerry, are understood to have narrowed, the number of suspects down to a handful in the hunt for the murderer of Mrs Margaret O'Sullivan. Her 12 year old son, Eric, found her in her apartment, with her throat cut on August 19th.
Mrs O'Sullivan, in her late 36s, lived alone in a small apartment at McCowan's Lane in the centre of the town. She had been separated from her husband, Daniel, who lives with Eric and their two other children, Oliver (19) and Vicky (8).
Mr O'Sullivan was attending a dance competition in Mosney, Co Meath, when he heard the news of his wife's brutal death.
A popular and outgoing person in her younger years, Mrs O'Sullivan had become reclusive and rarely left her apartment of late. She suffered from an epileptic condition and was known to often leave her door open.
When her son discovered his mother's body she was lying on her bed dressed in casual clothes. Gardai have said that there is no obvious motive for the murder.
The Garda hunt for the killer has involved members of the "technical bureau from Dublin as well as detectives from the Kerry Garda Division under Supt John O'Connor.
The team has been spending up to 12 hours a day sifting through statements as well as forensic evidence.
Mrs O'Sullivan's death brought to five the number of people who have died violently in Kerry in the past year and has caused revulsion in the town because of the similarities with the murder last April of Ms Ann Marie Duffin at Blennerville, outside Tralee.
Her body was also discovered by her schoolgoing son. However, Tralee gardai say that the two killings are not linked.
Gardai have taken fingerprints from a number of people who were known to have had contact with Mrs O'Sullivan, and as a result they have been able to eliminate several men from their inquiries.
Although Tralee is on a security alert as EU foreign ministers meet in the town, the pace of the search for Mrs O'Sullivan's killer will not be slackened.
Yesterday the murder scene, was still sealed off, and a garda was on duty at the entrance to McCowan's Lane.