Dublin 8 pensioner feared murdered: man in his 20s arrested after month-long disappearance

Gardaí believe a man in his 60s, missing from Dublin for over five weeks, was killed in a south inner city apartment. A man in his 20s has been arrested.

Arrest made in Dublin 8 missing man inquiry as gardaí suspect murder

Gardaí believe a man in his 60s who has been missing from his Dublin home for more than a month was murdered and his body concealed, the Irish Times reports. A man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with the investigation and is currently detained at a Dublin Garda station.

Detectives suspect the missing man — originally from Limerick — was killed inside an apartment in the south inner city, probably late last month. A residential property in The Liberties area has been sealed off for forensic examination.

Garda Headquarters confirmed the arrest on Tuesday evening in its first public statement on the case. "Gardaí are investigating all of the circumstances around the disappearance of a male — aged in his 60s — who was reported missing from the Dublin 8 area, on Sunday," the statement read. "As a result of ongoing enquiries, a male — aged in his 20s — has been arrested in connection with the investigation today."

The suspect is being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows gardaí to question him for up to 24 hours before he must either be charged or released without charge.

The missing man's remains have not been located. Garda sources say the primary objective at this stage is to determine where the body is, even as investigators are confident evidence of a murder will emerge.

His family — including siblings and children, many of whom live in the southwest — had grown increasingly alarmed after losing contact with him over several weeks. They made trips to Dublin to speak with people who knew him and conducted their own inquiries before formally filing a missing person's report just two days ago, more than five weeks after he was last seen.

Garda sources acknowledge that the delay in reporting the disappearance will complicate the investigation. However, they stressed the inquiry is now advancing rapidly, with the Liberties property sealed off and a suspect in custody.

No charges have been brought at this stage.

Source: Irish Times