The investigation into the disappearance of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine last month has been reclassified as a homicide inquiry, gardaí have said.
Mr Gaine was reported missing on Friday 21 March.
The reclassification to homicide covers the possibility that Mr Gaine may have been murdered, as well as the possibility that he died as a result of the actions of another, even if those actions were not intentional - such as manslaughter, for instance.
He was last seen in Kenmare on the morning of 20 March, where he purchased phone credit in the local Centra shop.
His bronze-coloured Toyota RAV4 was found in his farmyard the following day. There were a number of personal items in the car.
A major search has been ongoing over the last five weeks and a formal criminal investigation is under way.
Almost 130 witness statements have been taken as part of the investigation, which is being led by a Senior Investigating Officer at Killarney Garda Station, gardaí have said.
Around 2,200 hours of CCTV and dash camera footage have also been recovered.
However, gardaí said that "despite the extensive enquiries carried out so far, An Garda Síochána have not recovered Michael's remains".
They also said they are "seeking information from anyone who can assist us in bringing Michael back to his family".
In the update, gardaí said there are people "who know what happened on 20 March 2025" and appealed to them to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064-6671160, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666111, or any garda station.
