Gardaí ‘150%’ sure tourist not held against her will
The American woman was still in hospital last night as the mystery of where she spent the nights before she was found continued to perplex rescuers.
Gardaí still had not spoken to Kelly in Sligo General Hospital yesterday but they could be given an opportunity by medical staff when her father arrives from his home in the US state of Georgia, today.
She was unable to tell rescuers how she came to be in a holiday home called the Old Rectory when she was found before lunch on Wednesday.
Gardaí are now investigating if Kelly, who was being assessed both medically and psychologically in hospital, may have lost her way on a walk and become more perplexed because of a psychological condition. There were sightings of her in areas in the opposite direction to where she was discovered outside Glencolmcillle.
That was both before she was reported missing and afterwards, but by the time searchers got there she had disappeared.
Garda Inspector Sylvie Henry said Kelly, 41, who worked in catering in Charleston, South Carolina, was clearly distressed when discovered.
The Old Rectory was searched on Sunday shortly after Kelly was reported missing from her hostel in Malinmore, two kilometres distant, and it was again searched on Monday at 7.30pm. She was last seen on Saturday at about 5.30pm, 200m from the Old Rectory.
Rescuers and gardaí are adamant there was no forced entry to it during the first two searches.
When it was searched again on Wednesday, while rescuers were going over areas already scrutinised, a broken window was noticed and a woman was seen moving about inside the windows.
After an examination of the building by gardaí, they are certain Kelly was not with anyone else and was not detained anywhere against her will.
Insp Henry said: “We are 150% sure she was not held against her will. We believe the earliest she could have been in that building was Monday night, but where she was the other nights is really a mystery.”
Rescuers believe that, although Kelly was malnourished and suffering from mild hypothermia, she must have succeeded in finding some shelter out of the cold nights when temperatures were as low as 9C.
The US embassy in Dublin was liaising yesterday between gardaí and Kelly’s father.
