Gardaí focus on when Sheola was last seen alive

GARDAÍ are still trying to pin down the exact time strangled teenager Sheola Keaney was last seen alive because this information could prove vital to finding her killer.

More than 50 gardaí are involved in the search for the Cobh 19-year-old’s murderer, according to the man leading the investigation, Inspector Martin Dorney.

Officers want to piece together the last few hours of her movements, but their efforts are being slowed because of having to search through the wads of thick undergrowth near where she was found.

Sheola was last reported seen early on Friday morning in the Rushbrooke area, a few hundred metres from the scene of her death.

She had gone to a house party there after being at a pub in Cobh and a nightclub at the town’s Commodore Hotel.

She was found on Sunday night, beaten, strangled and partially clothed in undergrowth, 36 hours after her family reported her missing.

Gardaí need to find out exactly what time the last sighting of Sheola was actually made.

Inspector Dorney has confirmed that, while it was initially thought the last sighting was at 10am last Friday morning, a conflicting time, just after 3am, has also been suggested.

Gardaí want to trace her movements from the time she left the house party, which she had attended with friends, until the time of her death in the following hours.

Inspector Dorney insisted once more that gardaí are still carrying out an open investigation. He denied they were focusing their attention on any individuals. He said they were following all lines of inquiry at this stage.

He said no one had been questioned under caution. He said they are still talking to everyone who, they feel, might have some information which could help their inquiry.

His officers and men from two other divisions continued until 9pm last night to search through undergrowth close to Cobh Pirates Rugby Club, where Sheola’s body was found on Saturday night, as well as the grounds of the club itself.

That search is taking longer than had originally been expected. Officers had thought they would have finished it yesterday.

However, Inspector Dorney said: “There is a lot of undergrowth. That is the problem.” He said the search would probably take until this evening.

Anyone with information that might help the inquiry is asked to contact Cobh gardaí. The phone number is 021 4908530.

Meanwhile, as the search continued for clues to Sheola’s killer, part of the skeleton of another person were discovered in Cobh yesterday afternoon.

However, gardaí said the bone, which was discovered by a UCC archaeologist, belonged to someone who died in the 1800s.