Sightings of car ‘crucial’ to Meg murder probe

GARDAÍ probing the brutal murder of mother of one, Meg Walsh, say they are very anxious to speak to anyone who saw her silver Mitsubishi car parked along either side of Waterford’s quays the day after her disappearance.

They say they also want to know where that car was parked or where it travelled between Sunday, October 1, and the early hours of Wednesday, October 4, when it was discovered abandoned in a car park in the city.

CCTV footage has established who was driving the car and who abandoned it in the Ullrue car park. And forensic tests on the vehicle have established that it was used to transport the 35 year-old’s body to the North Quays in Waterford where it was then dumped into the River Suir.

Last night, investigating Superintendent, Dave Sheahan, made a fresh appeal for information. His comments came two days after the prime suspect in the case was released without charge following 12 hours of questioning.

Gardaí will have to make an application to the courts if this man is to be re-arrested in the coming weeks.

“We are still looking for anyone who can help us trace the car and its movements from the Sunday to when we recovered it almost three days later,” Supt Sheahan said.

“We spent the weekend reviewing our investigation and are still very anxious to establish sightings of this car. Someone may have seen it parked along the quays, on either side, on Sunday or Sunday night.

“Or they may have seen it being driven around on Monday. This information is now crucial to our investigation,” Supt Sheahan added.

Gardaí have yet to establish what weapon was used in the brutal attack which left the clerical worker with severe injuries to her head and upper body. But they are believed to be close to doing so.

The results of DNA tests carried out on scrapings taken from under Meg’s nails is expected shortly, as is data from samples taken from her car and home and from a pair of latex gloves recovered by gardaí on the North Quays shortly after Ms Walsh’s body was taken from the water.

Meg’s computer has been removed from her workplace. It is believed that it contains files in which the woman said she feared for her life. That data is still being considered by gardaí.

Among the items still being sought by gardaí are the murder weapon and Meg’s phone.

Probes at two crime scenes which had been preserved all last week have now concluded. The North Quays are no longer sealed off.

Neither is Meg’s house, which she shared with her husband.