Gardaí investigating the murder of a homeless man in Cork are believed to be making good progress in their investigation after establishing he was killed less than 24 hours before his body was found.
The dismembered body of Frankie Dunne (64), the father of adult children, was found in the grounds of derelict Castlegreina House on the Boreenmanna Road at around 4pm on Saturday afternoon.
Gardaí formally launched a murder inquiry on Sunday after it became apparent Mr Dunne had been the victim of a violent assault in which he sustained serious and traumatic injuries consistent with a beating.
Mr Dunne’s body had been partially dismembered with his head and arms found a short distance away from where his naked torso had been discovered under a bush in the back garden of Castlegreina House.
The dead man, who had a long history of engaging with homeless services in Cork, was a native of Churchfield on Cork's Northside but since July had been living at Cork Simon's Clanmornin House on the Boreenmanna Road.
Clanmornin House is a high-support facility for approximately 11 residents with full-time staff assisting them as they seek to make the transition from living on the streets to more structured living.
Gardaí have begun tracing Mr Dunne’s last known movements, speaking to others who avail of homeless services in Cork as well as checking CCTV footage to try and establish when Mr Dunne was last seen alive.
It is understood they have established from CCTV footage that Mr Dunne was alive and well at around 7pm on Friday evening and they are now trying to establish his movements in the last 21 or so hours of his life.
More than one person
They are trying to establish where he went and who he might have met in the time before he was violently assaulted and killed and his remains dismembered in what gardaí believe was an attempt to dispose of his body.
It is understood gardaí have begun taking witness statements from members of the homeless community in Cork and those who work with them to see if anyone saw Mr Dunne after 7pm on Friday night.
Gardaí are remaining tight-lipped about the exact circumstances of Mr Dunne’s death for operational reasons but it is believed they are of the view he was killed on the grounds of Castlegreina House where his body was found.
The detached two-storey house, which has been derelict for over a year since the elderly owner went into a nursing home, has been frequented by homeless people who often engaged in drinking sessions on its grounds.
Garda technical experts found a large number of discarded and empty beer and wine bottles on the grounds and gardaí have removed these for forensic and DNA testing to help them identify who else frequented the area.
It is understood gardaí are keeping an open mind on whether Mr Dunne may have been killed by more than one person while they are equally not ruling out the possibility his body was dismembered by more than one person.
Mr Dunne's murder is the second such tragedy to befall his wider family - his nephew, John Butler (20) was shot dead as he walked home with his girlfriend Rachel Thornhill on Gurranebraher Road on Cork's Northside in October 2002.
Gardaí say they are satisfied there is no connection between the shooting of Mr Butler and the murder of his uncle some 17 years later.
