Gardaí have made a fresh appeal for information which might help them finally close their file on the murder of a 23-year-old art student Emer O'Loughlin on the 20th anniversary of her death.
The remains of Ms O’Loughlin, a native of Ennistymon in Co Clare, were discovered in a badly burned out mobile home on lands at Ballybornagh near Tubber in Co Clare, on 8 April 2005.
She had been living in a caravan on the land with her boyfriend at the time as they planned to build there.
The cause of her death was not determined back in 2005, although her family always suspected that violence did play a part in her death.
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Her remains were exhumed in 2010 as part of a cold case review and this time forensic anthropology tests revealed that she had indeed died violently, before the fire in the mobile home occurred.
The mobile home belonged to her neighbour John Griffin, also known as 'Fozzie' Griffin, a native of Mervue in Galway, who gardaí believe has information about the young Clare woman’s death, but who has been missing since shortly after her death.
Gardaí interviewed Mr Griffin at the time of their initial investigation but he said he had stayed with a relative in Galway the night before Ms O'Loughlin’s death and knew nothing about the blaze at his mobile home.
His last confirmed sighting was in Inis Mór on Oileáin Arann. His clothes were found at the edge of the cliff there, but despite intensive searches he has not been located and has never been reported as a missing person.
Renewed appeal for information
Gardaí have once again renewed their appeal for information on the 20th anniversary of Ms O'Loughlin's death.
They believe Mr Griffin is still alive and they are anxious to trace him.
They say he he may have been assisted in leaving Inis Mór by another person and that the clothes on the cliff edge was an effort to frustrate the garda investigation.
There have been several reported, but unconfirmed, sightings of him and it is widely believed that he is now somewhere in Europe.
He is on Interpol's international fugitive list, wanted in connection with assisting gardaí in their investigation.
Gardaí are particularly anxious to talk to him or to talk to anybody who has been in contact with him in the intervening years, who may know his current whereabouts.
Gardaí say Mr Griffin would now be 57 years old, is 1.80cm (5'11") in height, of slight build and bald, and often had a beard, he also had a distinctive Egyptian Eye of Horus tattoo on his throat and neck area.
The investigation into Ms O'Loughlin's murder and the garda appeal has been on the RTÉ Crimecall programme last year, and has also been the subject of a TG4 documentary.
Anyone with information on this investigation can contact Gort Garda Station on 091 636400, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
O'Loughlin's family say her life was 'stolen away'
Twenty years on from the loss of their beloved daughter and sister, Ms O'Loughlin’s father Johnny described her anniversary as a very "emotional day" as he planted flowers at the wooden cross and stone monument built on the site where she died.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime her sister Pam said Ms O'Loughlin’s "wonderful life" was "wasted and stolen away" as she "could have been married with children" now and "gone on to do things with her art".
She said there had been "five years for the chief suspect to make his escape" and that "an immense amount of time" was lost.
She added that 'Justice for Emer' would at least help to put a "full stop behind what happened" and allow her family to "move on".
