Killarney murder: International search under way for Jamey Carney's partner Ahmad Al-Saqar
Ahmad Al-Saqar and Jamey Carney (RIP), Killarney Muckross Death Photo: Social media
The man international police forces are now searching for in connection with Jamey Carney’s murder is her boyfriend, Ahmad Al-Saqar.
Gardaí have described Mr Al-Saqar, 28, as a “person of significant interest” in the murder investigation.
He was with the US-born mother-of-one in her home in Killarney on Monday evening, it is understood.
The 43-year-old’s body was found badly injured in her bed and covered in her own bed sheets at about 1.30pm on Tuesday.
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But Mr Al-Saqar left Killarney early on Tuesday morning on a bus to Dublin Airport, it is believed. From there, he took a flight to Turkey.
He left Ireland before Ms Carney’s body had been discovered.
Gardaí are liaising with international police forces to find Mr Al-Saqar.
He has not been charged with any crimes in connection with Ms Carney’s death.
Mr Al-Saqar has also not been added to Europol’s Most Wanted fugitive list.
Although it would be unusual to add someone to that list who police wanted to speak to in connection with an investigation, if the evidence against them is strong enough, they could be added to that list, even if they have not been charged with a crime, a source in Europol said.
Mr Al-Saqar appears to have been active on social media since Ms Carney's death, removing a post from one account and appearing to alter security settings on another.
He is originally from Jordan, but had been living in Ireland for more than one year and was in a relationship with Ms Carney for some months.
Her profile photo on social media is a picture of them together.
In one social media post, she shared loving text messages he had sent her and wrote that he was the ‘most kind and emotionally intelligent, self-aware person I have ever known.’
In another, she shared a video of them together and wrote: 'He continues to show me what safe love is.’
In the days before she was killed, Mr Al-Saqar commented ‘my beautiful family’ in a photo on Ms Carney’s account of the couple and her 13-year-old daughter together.
In another message to her, he wrote: “I love you so much.”
A cousin of Ms Carney has spoken of the devastation felt by her family.
Ryan Fox described Ms Carney as one of the kindest and most caring people he had known, saying she had always shown compassion towards others and was the type of person who would go out of her way to help someone in need.
Mr Fox said the family is struggling to come to terms with the circumstances surrounding her death.
It is believed that Ms Carney died from suffocation, but had also suffered head injuries.
Mr Fox and Ms Carney had grown up together in Westchester County, New York, and had a close relationship, raised “almost like siblings”.
Ms Carney, aged 43, was discovered dead at her home on Muckross Road, Killarney, on Tuesday morning.
Mr Fox said Ms Carney’s mother was "very upset" and "could barely get her words across".
"It's something that nobody expected because, two days before, there was a picture posted, everybody's smiling," Mr Fox said.
He said the family had "no indication" that there were difficulties in his cousin’s life.
“I had never gotten any communication like that because if I had, then measures would have been taken," he said.
"My Jamey was proud to be Irish and proud to be American, and everybody, in America or in Ireland, knows what a huge heart she had.
"Jamey loved Ireland so much... She could not love the land of Ireland more," he told RTE's Prime Time.
Mr Fox said he wanted his cousin to be remembered for her generosity, her love for Ireland, and the positive impact she had on those around her.
"We're all going to do everything in our power to make sure that this doesn't happen to more people like my cousin Jamey ... Nobody deserves that to happen," he said.
He said Ms Carney was proud of both her Irish and American identities and had built a happy life in Ireland with her teenage daughter after moving to the country in 2021. He added that her friends in Ireland had become like a second family to her.
He also urged people not to respond to her death with prejudice.
"Do not use this to become bigoted or racist or prejudiced in any way. Bad people are in every group," he said.
"If you think about her, if you see her picture, if you read her story, please know that all she ever wanted was for everybody to have equal rights. She wanted to raise her daughter in a nice place like everybody intends to do, to raise a family and to be safe."
Ms Carney's mother Kathy, a psychotherapist, and her sister, Devon Bennett, travelled to Ireland in the hours after Ms Carney's body was found.
Ms Carney was “an insanely caring human being, who dedicated so much of herself, her energy, and her time, to fighting for the rights of others,” Ms Bennett wrote online.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support Ms Carney’s surviving family. She has a 13-year-old daughter.
“My sister, Jamey Noel Carney, was murdered in Killarney, Kerry, Ireland on Tuesday, July 7th 2026. She is survived by her brilliant 13-year-old daughter," Ms Bennett wrote on the fundraising page.
“We grew up in New York, but she spent much of her best years with [her daughter] in the states in Bergen County, NJ. But their true home, where they both truly felt they belonged, was the beautiful town of Killarney.
"My mother and I travelled within a day of hearing the news of the untimely death of my sister, and are currently here, working with the Killarney Garda and social services to make sure my niece can stay in the land she loves, especially while grieving this tragic loss.
"With last-minute travel, accommodations, legal fees, as well as the looming funerary and memorial service costs hanging over our heads, we're reaching out to the public for help.
"Either you may have known Jamey and our family, from any stage of her short but wild and beautiful life, or you came upon this GoFundMe after hearing about her terrible murder, we cannot stress enough that every single dollar (or Euro) will truly count."
Abusive messages about the murdered woman have been posted on social media platforms, particularly Instagram and Facebook, including messages on Ms Carney's own page.
People have been sharing racist and misogynistic messages, including that Ms Carney ‘deserved' to be murdered for being in a relationship with an Arabic man.
Facebook has allowed an increasing number of posts and messages to be made on its platform, which are abusive towards the murdered mother-of-one for supporting Palestinian rights and for being in a relationship with a man from the Middle East.
Meta, which owns both platforms, said that it was investigating the case when contacted by the Irish Examiner.
Ms Carney was born in New York and had Irish ancestry. She moved to Ireland with her daughter in 2021 after visiting on holiday and falling in love with the country.
She campaigned for Palestinian rights and freedom and was involved in sports locally.
Locals said she was well-liked and described her as hard-working and a devoted mother.
A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation, and an incident room has been established at Killarney Garda Station.
Independent councillor Martin Grady said that a black cloud now hangs over Killarney following the woman's death.
“It's an awful shock to the local community,” Mr Grady said.
“I encourage anyone to come forward with any information they may have to An Garda Síochána. No matter what it is, please come forward to An Garda Siochana with any information, any CCTV, any dashcam footage from the area."
Kerry Independent Alliance councillor John O’Donoghue said that a heavy garda presence was in place around the home where the woman’s body was found on Tuesday.
“It’s a terrible tragedy,” Mr O’Donoghue said.
“I know the estate where she lived. It’s a lovely area."
Both local councillors offered their condolences to the woman’s family and friends.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Anyone who was in the Muckross Road area of Killarney between Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon who may have camera footage, including CCTV or dashcam, is asked to provide this footage to investigating gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064 667 1160, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Investigations are ongoing, gardaí said.
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