Foul play ruled out in Glencorrib death

Foul play ruled out in south Mayo death


Postmortem reveals no assault or trauma to body

Anton McNulty

GARDAÍ in Claremorris have ruled out foul play in the death of a Glencorrib woman who was found dead in a house on Sunday afternoon.
The body of the woman, who was in her late forties, was found in a rural house in the village of Ballycurrin near Glencorrib on Sunday afternoon. The scene was preserved overnight and the body was removed to Mayo General Hospital yesterday morning (Monday).
The post mortem which was performed by the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster, yesterday afternoon, revealed no evidence of assault or trauma to the body.
Superintendent Michael Cryan told The Mayo News yesterday evening that investigators are still awaiting toxicology results but were ruling out foul play as the cause of death.
“We are still awaiting the results of the toxicology tests which will take time…[the death] is still not fully explained. At this stage there is nothing to indicate assault or trauma injuries… or markings which are consistent with assaults. We can rule out foul play at this stage,” he explained.
The name of the woman was not officially released but she has been named locally as Annette Murphy, who lived in the area.
It is understood she was found in a neighbours house at approximately 4pm on Sunday afternoon and pronounced dead shortly after emergency services arrived at the scene.
It is understood the body was found on the floor in the house and due to the unusual circumstances of the discovery, gardaí decided to carry out a full investigation before they could rule out any foul play. Nobody was arrested or detained following the discovery of the body.
With foul play now ruled out as a possible cause of death, gardaí will have to await the toxicology results to determine the cause of death. This may take a number of weeks and in the meantime, gardaí will try to account for the final movements of Ms Murphy and a file will be prepared for the Coroners Court.
The news of the discovery of the body shocked the south Mayo village which is located close to Lough Corrib near the Galway border. The scene of the discovery is approximately two miles from a farm that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited during his recent visit to Mayo.
Ms Murphy, a single woman, came from a well-known and respected family in the area and was known by the Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Damien Ryan, who expressed his sympathy to the family of the deceased.
“I know the family very well and this death is a tragedy for her family. The family were well known and well respected in the area. It is a terrible thing to happen and a terrible tragedy to visit a small village and parish. It is a dark day for Glencorrib and I express my sympathy to the family,” he said.