€10,000 reward to identify woman

A €10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the identification of a woman found stabbed to death in Phoenix Park last week.

The cash is being put up as gardaí investigating the murder yesterday published a detailed set of photographs of the woman, along with her clothing and jewellery.

The woman, aged in her late 30s to early 40s, was stabbed eight times in the chest and neck. She was found fully clothed at the edge of a wooded area near sports grounds at the park last Wednesday, August 5.

The woman has distinctive features:nOnly 4’10” in height.

nA large mole on the left side of her forehead.

nA smaller mole under her right eye and two other moles; on the right side and top left corner of her lips.

nShe wore a gold religious medal, a gold Celtic cross necklace and gold Creole-type hooped earrings.

The woman wore a grey fleece top from Marks & Spencer, size 16, and three-quarter length pink trousers with ribbon ties on each end and side pocket. Under her fleece, she wore a pink and grey striped top. Pink fleece socks and Karrimor runners, size 5, were found beside her.

Gardaí said a black Raleigh women’s bike was found near her, but are not sure if it was hers.

Garda spokesman Superintendent John Gilligan said investigators are keeping an “open mind” on the woman, including whether or not she was homeless, a foreign national or a Traveller. He said the medals were “clearly associated with Ireland and Catholicism”, but said this didn’t necessarily mean she was Irish.

He said gardaí had received over 200 calls from the public and that they had a number of “strong leads”, but still needed more information.

Supt Gilligan said the information had been passed on to Interpol, but no police force had come back with identification.

Anyone with information can ring Crimestoppers on freephone 1800-250025. Superintendent Dave Dowling, leading the investigation, said callers can ring anonymously and in strict confidence.