Police get 36 more hours to question man arrested over suspected murder of missing Limerick woman

Arrest and court extension

On Wednesday, 4 November, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said a court had granted detectives an additional 36 hours to question a 35-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder. The case concerns a 39-year-old woman from Limerick who has not been seen since she travelled to Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, on 10 October. She has also not been in touch with family or friends. Police have not reported any charge against the arrested man in the sources available.

The PSNI described the state of the inquiry in a short statement on the same day.

“The investigation is continuing at pace, and there is no further information at this time.”

Last known movements

Police say the woman travelled by bus from Limerick to Enniskillen on Saturday, 10 October, together with a male friend. The pair took a taxi from the bus depot on Wellington Road to an address in Trasna Park at around 9pm, which is the last confirmed sighting. From that point her movements are unknown. Police said there had been suggestions she travelled on to the Londonderry area on 11 October, but they had found no evidence to verify this. In a PSNI missing person statement issued on Monday, 2 November, the force had said enquiries were under way to establish her whereabouts and welfare. In its Wednesday update, the PSNI said CCTV trawls, house-to-house enquiries and interviews with potential witnesses had so far failed to locate her.

Concern grows

An Garda Siochana contacted the PSNI on 29 October with concerns about the woman's whereabouts, and officers then carried out a number of search enquiries that have not established where she is. On Tuesday, 3 November, Detective Superintendent Richard Thornton of the PSNI's serious crime branch said her disappearance was extremely out of character. He said her family and friends reported that she is usually in almost daily contact with them, and that the silence had led them to fear something may have happened after she reached Northern Ireland. The same day, police said they held serious concern that she may have been murdered after arriving in Northern Ireland. Earlier, the PSNI had classified the case as a high risk missing person case. Two Family Liaison Officers were sent to Limerick to meet relatives and explain the course of the enquiry.

Family and appeals

Family and friends gathered in Moyross, Limerick, on Tuesday night to show their support. Her son posted on social media thanking those who attended and saying he hoped for a message from her soon. Her sister has been posting about the disappearance for days. Police have appealed to the community for any relevant information. The 36-hour extension gives detectives more time to question the arrested man, and the sources do not say what follows once that period ends.