A jury at the inquest into the death of a Clare woman whose body was found in a burnt out mobile home 20 years ago, has returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
The remains of Emer O'Loughlin, a native of Ennistymon, were discovered in a caravan on lands at Ballybornagh near Tubber in Co Clare, on 8 April 2005.
Her family welcomed the verdict at the Coroner's Court sitting in Kilrush today.
"We are absolutely delighted with the verdict," said Pam O’Loughlin, Emer’s sister.
"It’s the first time the state has acknowledged that Emer O’Loughlin was killed by someone else.
"Up until now we’ve had suspicious death etc but this is the first time that we have had it confirmed that she was killed by someone else. It’s what we came here today for," she said.
Watch: Family of Emer O'Loughlin welcome verdict of unlawful killing
The 23 year-old student was living in a mobile home with her boyfriend Shane Bowe, near Boston, Tubber, where the couple had hoped to build a house.
Before leaving for work, Mr Bowe - who has since passed away - advised her to call to a neighbour’s caravan to charge her phone, as there was a problem with the power supply to their mobile home.
It was in a caravan, owned by John 'Fozzie’ Griffin, that Ms O’Loughlin’s charred remains were discovered later that afternoon.
Confirmation came the next day, when DNA analysis identified the remains as those of the Ennistymon woman.
A post-mortem examination was carried out by then deputy state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis at Galway hospital.
'Probable' victim dead before the fire
In his evidence, Dr Curtis said his examination concluded that "it was probable but not absolutely certain" that she was dead before the fire.
He said it was impossible to rule out strangulation or a cut to the throat as the cause of death, and therefore the cause was recorded as undetermined.
The retired pathologist was asked by Ms O’Loughlin’s sister Pam if injuries to her vertebrae were consistent with deliberate violence by another person, and he replied, "yes".
The inquest also heard evidence from Dr Laureen Buckley, a forensic anthropologist, who carried out a second post-mortem examination after Ms O’Loughlin’s remains were exhumed in May 2010.
Dr Buckley said while the skull was detached from the body when the remains were found, that could have been due to a fall or caused by violence.
She said the absence of knife striations did not rule out the use of a knife.
She was also asked by Ms O’Loughlin’s sister if the injuries to the vertebrae were consistent with deliberate violence by another person, and replied, "It could have been, but I couldn’t say with certainty".
She said there was possible violence to the front of Ms O’Loughlin’s neck.
There were sighs of relief from Emer O’Loughlin’s family when the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
Coroner Isobel O’Dea sympathised with the O’Loughlin’s on the 23-year’s death.
Inspector Brian O’Connor of Ennis Garda Station also offered his condolences on behalf of An Garda Síochána.
Gardaí 'anxious' to trace John 'Fozzie' Griffin
After the inquest, the family appealed for information in relation to the whereabouts of John ‘Fozzie’ Griffin, the owner of the caravan where Emer O’Loughlin’s remains were found.
John O’Loughlin, Emer’s father, said there must be people in the community who know where he is. "Oh there is, definitely," Mr O’Loughlin said. "There has to be, nobody just disappears like that."
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 Árann. 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.
On the 20th anniversary of Ms O'Loughlin's death in April this year, gardaí also renewed their appeal for information.
They believe Mr Griffin is still alive and they are anxious to trace him.
They say 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.
Pam O’Loughlin said today they remain hopeful that, in time, a suspect will face the courts and justice will be served for Emer.
