Gardaí suspect a missing child – now believed to have been murdered – may have died months before his disappearance was reported in August.
An Garda Síochána on Wednesday announced that the force believes Kyran Durnin (8) from Drogheda, Co Louth is missing presumed dead and that a formal murder investigation has begun.
Kyran was first reported missing from his home in late August along with his mother Dayla Durnin (24). Ms Durnin has since been located alive in the UK but gardaí have been unable to locate her son. A missing persons appeal for Ms Durnin was stood down on Wednesday.
Sources described the investigation as complex with “many strands”. Some individuals known to the child have been co-operating with the investigation while others have been less forthcoming.
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“There are a lot of moving parts which will take time to work through,” said a source.
Gardaí now suspect Kyran may have died well before he was officially reported missing and that there were efforts to convince authorities, including Tusla, the State’s child and family agency, that he was still alive. Gardaí said Tusla was fully co-operating with the investigation.
One line of inquiry is that the child died months before being reported missing. Despite opening a murder investigation, gardaí have not definitively ruled out the possibility that Kyran could have died accidentally.
However, a source said suspicions that the boy may have been murdered have grown over the past month with gardaí now “all but certain” the child was killed.
Investigators have yet to locate any remains and the last date on which Kyran was seen alive remains unclear.
Gardaí hope that announcing the case has been upgraded to a murder investigation will prompt people known to the boy to come forward with information. It will also help authorities obtain search warrants.
The upgrading of the case to a murder inquiry, which is very rare in missing person’s cases, will see significantly more Garda resources assigned to the inquiry. Gardaí believe there is a significant prospect of a breakthrough in the case as a result of extra resources being assigned to it.
In a missing persons appeal in August, gardaí said Kyran and his mother were last seen on Wednesday, August 28th last, at about 11pm.
In a statement on Wednesday, gardaí said they have carried out extensive inquiries but have been unable to locate the child or uncover any information indicating he is still alive.
“Following inquiries to date, investigating gardaí now believe that Kyran is missing presumed dead. A murder investigation has been commenced,” the force said in a statement.
An incident room has been established in Drogheda Garda station and a senior investigating officer has been assigned to oversee the case.
Anyone with information about Kyran’s disappearance is asked to contact Drogheda Garda station on (041) 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, will be welcomed by the investigation team. This information will be treated in the strictest confidence,” the statement added.
