GUILTY Ireland - Ashling Murphy, 23, school teacher, beaten to death, Tullamore, County Offaly, 12 Jan 2022 *arrest*

[Luwin]

A team of more than 50 Garda (Irish police) officers have been assigned to the investigation into the murder of a 23-year-old woman in County Offaly.

Ashling Murphy was killed on the banks of the Grand Canal in the Cappincur area of Tullamore at 16:00 local time on Wednesday.

Ms Murphy was a primary school teacher who worked at Durrow National School.

Gardaí said her injuries were "consistent with an assault" and she died at the scene.

A 40-year-old man has been arrested and remains in custody.

"At this stage there is no information that the victim and her killer were known to each other," said Supt Eamonn Curley.

Ashling Murphy: 50-strong team investigating Tullamore murder

 

[Luwin]

According to the Independent.ie, Ms Murphy came from a highly respected family in the local area that is well known in the music scene, and live outside Tullamore.

The newspaper reported that the suspect is a Romanian national in his 40s who has been living locally for around 20 years, saying he has an alcohol problem.

He is being questioned on the suspicion of murder.

It has been reported that two women witnessed part of the attack, and saw the suspect flee the scene. He was arrested shortly after.

Female primary school teacher, 22, is beaten to death in random attack in popular Irish walking spot | Daily Mail Online

 

[Mo Thuairim]

'No stone will be left unturned' in murder inquiry

Gardaí believe the attack, on a busy recreational route, was random. At this stage, they said, there is "no information to show that the victim and her killer were known to each other".

The attacker fled after two women came upon the attack. The women were able to give a detailed description of the attacker to gardaí.

(...)

The sense of shock in Tullamore and the midlands is palpable following the murder.

After finishing teaching for the day, Ms Murphy had been out exercising, something she did regularly, on a route known as Fiona's Way - in memory of missing woman Fiona Pender.

(BBM. Horrifying that she was murdered on a route named in memory of another local woman who has been missing for more than 25 years and is presumed murdered.)

'Nobody has yet been brought to justice': Fiona Pender disappeared 25 years ago today

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Ashling Murphy: ‘A shining light as a teacher, the kids in her class adored her’

Bouquets of flowers and a candle were left on the bank of the Grand Canal in Tullamore, Co Offaly close to where Ashling Murphy was killed.

She had been out for a run along a canal towpath when she was fatally attacked on Wednesday afternoon.

Former principal of Durrow National School where Ms Murphy worked, Frank Kelly, who is also a friend of the Murphy family, told The Irish Times: “She was a shining light as a teacher, the children in her class adored her. Her word was gold, they worshiped the ground she walked on.”

“She was an absolute gem. She came to the school as a substitute teacher in March 2021 and was then put on a fixed term position from September.

“Ashling was very musical, she had recently bought a set of uilleann pipes and was going to learn how to play them, they are a very difficult instrument to master, but no obstacle was too big for her.

(...)

 

[Spy Versus Spy]

BBC News - Ashling Murphy: Victim did not know her killer, detectives believe Ashling Murphy: Victim did not know her killer, detectives believe

 

[dotr]

Teacher Ashling Murphy, 23, murdered 'by stranger' while jogging along canal path - World News - Mirror Online

13 Jan 2022

• 
  
  She was jogging along the Grand Canal Tullamore
  Local Councillor Declan Harvey said: “Ashling was recently with the Durrow school kids doing a choir with them.
  
  “There’s a lot of sadness because most of my neighbours up here walk the canal line daily.
  
  “It’s always very popular with people who are going out walking, cycling or jogging, it’s usually heaven down there.
  She was attacked at around 4pm''
  
  ''Fine Gael Minister Josepha Madigan posted on Twitter : "A young woman can’t even go for a run along a canal pathway - at four o’clock in the middle of the day - only to be attacked & murdered.''

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Ashling came from a musical family and was very talented. She was well known in the traditional Irish music scene. Here she is playing the violin (fiddle).

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1481647712973950987?s=20

 

[Luwin]

I wonder if he'd been stalking her. I know the article says he was unknown to her but he could have been following her covertly

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Vigil to remember Ashling Murphy to be held outside Dáil tomorrow: ‘Such a senseless loss of life’

The National Women’s Council of Ireland will hold a vigil to remember Ashling Murphy tomorrow outside the Dáil (parliament).

The vigil will take place outside Dáil Eireann on Kildare Street at 4pm on Friday.

(...)

A spokesperson for The National Women’s Council said women “must be safe” in their homes and communities.

“Ashling Murphy was killed yesterday when she was on a jog, in broad daylight. There has been a huge outpouring of grief and support across Ireland for Ashling and her family.

“Tomorrow at 4pm, around the time Ashling was killed, the National Women’s Council will hold a vigil to remember Ashling and to support all who knew and loved her.

“Women must be safe in our homes and our communities. Join us and call for an end to men’s violence against women.

(...)

“I think the reality is that women don’t feel safe often in any public place whether it’s in broad daylight or crowded places, let alone in those kind of stereotypical darkened alley scenarios.

“What we really want to emphasise is that we can’t have another tragic incident where we don’t grasp the momentum behind this. We can’t look at what women can do to stay safe, we can’t look at the places where these appalling acts are perpetrated because they actually are irrelevant,” she (Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid) said.

 

[JuicyLucy]

Breaking news: Chief suspect for murder of Ashling Murphy has been released from custody and eliminated from Garda enquiry

Chief suspect for murder of Ashling Murphy has been released from custody and eliminated from garda inquiry

I'm fascinated by this, considering the 'detailed description' of the suspect that was given by two witnesses who allegedly saw the attack itself. I'm watching with interest to see how that can be explained.

 

[RobinCAL]

Such a heartbreaking case! I hope they find something quick for her family's sake.

 

[Irishguy]

Chief suspect for murder of Ashling Murphy has been released from custody and eliminated from garda inquiry

 

[Irishguy]

Bizarre turn of events with the suspect being released. He was placed at the scene but now its understood he was not involved in this horrific act. The focus now is on a distinctive coloured mountain bike

 

[Duk3]

This is devastating ...the one piece of solace was that the supposed perp had been caught

 

[Duk3]

'No stone will be left unturned' in murder inquiry

Gardaí believe the attack, on a busy recreational route, was random. At this stage, they said, there is "no information to show that the victim and her killer were known to each other".

The attacker fled after two women came upon the attack. The women were able to give a detailed description of the attacker to gardaí.

(...)

The sense of shock in Tullamore and the midlands is palpable following the murder.

After finishing teaching for the day, Ms Murphy had been out exercising, something she did regularly, on a route known as Fiona's Way - in memory of missing woman Fiona Pender.

(BBM. Horrifying that she was murdered on a route named in memory of another local woman who has been missing for more than 25 years and is presumed murdered.)

'Nobody has yet been brought to justice': Fiona Pender disappeared 25 years ago today

Fiona Pender went missing on Friday 23rd August 1996

 

[dotr]

Fiona Pender went missing on Friday 23rd August 1996

Off to bump her thread..
Ireland - Ireland - Fiona Pender, 25, Tullamore, 23 August 1996 (websleuths.com)

 

[Duk3]

hopefully unrelated but there's another woman (19 yr old) missing since Wednesday afternoon from nearby Newbridge Have you seen Jodie? Appeal for information on 19-year-old missing from Co Kildare

 

[Vail]

Breaking news: Chief suspect for murder of Ashling Murphy has been released from custody and eliminated from Garda enquiry

Chief suspect for murder of Ashling Murphy has been released from custody and eliminated from garda inquiry

I'm fascinated by this, considering the 'detailed description' of the suspect that was given by two witnesses who allegedly saw the attack itself. I'm watching with interest to see how that can be explained.

hmm my guess is the two women came upon him as he was checking her body and they thought he was her attacker OR they are the perps. Hopefully more clues are found soon.

 

[Duk3]

I think the two women were the other side of the canal when the murder was taking place and had to run over a mile to get help ...maybe it was the murderer the two women saw but the Gardaí misidentified the assailant

 

[Sarahlou]

Breaking news: Chief suspect for murder of Ashling Murphy has been released from custody and eliminated from Garda enquiry

Chief suspect for murder of Ashling Murphy has been released from custody and eliminated from garda inquiry

I'm fascinated by this, considering the 'detailed description' of the suspect that was given by two witnesses who allegedly saw the attack itself. I'm watching with interest to see how that can be explained.

Oh that's disappointing it wasn't him. Very strange.

I wonder if this opens up the possibility that she did know her killer after all?

Maybe someone she rejected who knew she jogged there (Did she regularly jog there?)