Man to be charged for 1987 murder
The 46-year-old man will appear in Athlone District Court this morning to be formally charged with the murder of 43-year-old Brian McGrath, a father of four.
The “cold case” investigation carried out by local gardaí and members of the Serious Crime Review Team resulted in the arrest of a man last evening at Dublin airport.
He was being detained at Mullingar Garda Station.
Mr McGrath disappeared from his home in Co Westmeath in 1987.
A body was found six years later buried on land close to Mr McGrath’s home.
Last year, a previously unidentified body was exhumed and scientific advances led gardaí to believe the remains are those of Mr McGrath.
Brian McGrath’s case is one of approximately 200 being re-examined by a small team of cold case specialist detectives working from the National Bureau of Crime Investigation offices in Dublin.
Advances in DNA forensic enabled gardaí to put a strong case together following the exhumation of the body at a cemetery in Coole last year.
Gardaí also carried out a scientific examination on a section of land in Coole where the then unidentified man’s body was discovered in November 1993 when investigators were given confidential information.
Tests showed that the body had been burned before being buried in a field.
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