Gardaí have faced a major challenge for almost four months in trying to solve the case of assumed murdered boy Kyran Durnin. Following the death of suspect Anthony Maguire, their task has become bigger and more complex.
The 36-year-old Drogheda man was found dead in his home in the Co Louth town on Tuesday morning. He had taken his own life just days after being released without charge following his arrest last Thursday on suspicion of murdering Kyran.
The fact he is deceased greatly complicates an already complex inquiry. Gardaí believe he had access to Kyran around the time he vanished. They also believe Maguire was at the centre of a ruse in which another boy was passed off as Kyran twice in the last year, including at a meeting with staff from the family and child agency Tusla.
Those strands of the inquiry can still be explored, even though Maguire is now dead. But trying to build an accurate picture of Kyran’s last movements, and the suspected cover-up after his death, is now missing a vital figure.
The key challenge in the case – finding Kyran’s remains – has not changed. Without his body, and thus being unable to determine when or how he died, the chances of prosecuting anyone for murder are remote.
[ Kyran Durnin murder: Gardaí expect further arrests for range of crimes in caseOpens in new window ]
Garda sources have stressed that Maguire, who had a history of violent assault, was not the only suspect for the murder of the boy, who is believed to have died, aged six, some time in the second half of 2022.
A woman in her 20s, who was arrested last week and also released without charge, remains a central figure for the Garda investigation team. She was detained last Tuesday week after unexpectedly returning from abroad. Detectives immediately moved to detain her for questioning in the event she may leave the jurisdiction again and they’d lose their chance.
During her interviews, she told gardaí that Maguire was caring for Kyran – at least involved in his care – at the time he vanished in 2022. This is despite the fact Maguire was not Kyran’s father and was in no way related to him, though he had close contacts with some family members.
Less than 24 hours after the woman was released, Maguire was arrested and questioned for 24 hours. He strongly denied any role in killing or harming Kyran and was released last Friday evening.
His home was also extensively searched while he was in custody, including the garden being excavated and a cadaver dog being used in a bid to determine if Kyran’s remains were buried there. The search operation was so big, with a telescopic loader being used to lift earth-moving equipment into the back garden, the local community was left in no doubt Maguire was the man in custody over Kyran’s killing. How big a role, if any, his arrest played in his decision to end his life will likely never become clear.
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