Suspect jumped from third-floor balcony as gardaí forced their way into apartment Murdered woman is found in wardrobe
A WOMAN was brutally murdered before her body was wrapped in a sleeping bag and stuffed in a wardrobe, gardaí believe.
The body of tragic Joanne Lee (38) was found tightly bound in a sleeping bag and bedsheets in a flat on Ranelagh Road in south Dublin at 3.45pm yesterday. She had been reported missing by concerned members of her family.
Ms Lee was found with a bag over her head and gardaí believe her killer may have strangled or suffocated her.
A man who is well known to Ms Lee is understood to have jumped from a third-floor balcony of the flat after gardaí tried to gain entry to the property. He suffered a broken arm and leg injuries. The suspect, who was being treated in St Vincent’s Hospital last night, told gardaí he “had to kill Joanne”.
Ms Lee, who was originally from the Coolock area of Dublin, had been living with her family in Ashbourne, Co Meath, recently. Gardaí issued a missing person’s appeal for Ms Lee late on Wednesday night.
Her grief-stricken uncle John Curry said her death had “torn the soul” out of the family. He said: “A couple of days (she was missing), we had a feeling something was up. All I can say is why, why, why take a beautiful girl, so young, so pretty, away from us all.”
A 38-YEAR-OLD woman – who had been reported missing – was brutally murdered before her body was wrapped in a sleeping bag and stuffed in a wardrobe, gardaí believe.
The body of tragic Joanne Lee was found tightly bound in a sleeping bag and bedsheets in a flat on Ranelagh Road in south Dublin at 3.45pm yesterday by gardaí investigating her disappearance.
Gardaí believe she may have been suffocated or strangled by her killer.
Her grief-stricken uncle John Curry told the Irish Independent last night that her death has “torn the soul” out of the whole family.
A man who is well known to Ms Lee is understood to have jumped from a third-floor balcony of the flat after gardaí tried to get into the property.
He suffered a broken arm and leg injuries after the jump as investigators stormed the flat. His injuries are not life threatening.
The suspect, who was being treated at St Vincent’s Hospital last night, is understood to have told investigating officers last night that he “had to kill” Ms Lee.
Missing
Detectives are probing if Ms Lee was murdered at a different location, possibly on St Valentine’s Day, and that her killer was planning to transport her body before gardaí found her in the wardrobe.
Her body was so tightly wrapped up in the sleeping bag and bedsheets that the exact cause of death will not be known until they are removed and a post-mortem examination is completed.
Ms Lee, who was originally from the Coolock area of the capital’s northside, had been living with her family in Ashbourne, Co Meath, in recent times.
The tragic woman’s family became extremely concerned for her welfare after they did not hear from her since Tuesday of this week.
They contacted gardaí, who in turn issued a public ‘missing person’s appeal’ late on Wednesday night, stating that Ms Lee had last been seen in the area policed by Mountjoy gardaí on the capital’s northside on Tuesday.
Sources say gardaí tried to get into the flat yesterday afternoon after her car was found on the road outside the property some hours after the appeal was issued.
However, despite repeated demands to be allowed into the property, a male present in the flat refused before he jumped from the window at almost the same time that gardaí forced entry to the flat.
Ms Lee’s tearful uncle Mr Curry spoke to reporters at the scene, saying that her family feared the worst when his 38-year-old niece went missing.
An emotional Mr Curry said: “She was a lovely girl, a beautiful girl, never any trouble, nothing from her, she was just...aw god, I’m so upset, I can’t speak.
“I’m just devastated, the whole family is, just taken apart, just torn the soul out of us.
“I just don’t know what came out of this at all, why it happened.
“A couple of days (she was missing), we had a feeling something was up, but we couldn’t put it together and we were searching everywhere.
“All I can say is why, why, why take a beautiful girl, so young, so pretty, away from us all?
“I’m just devastated,” he added.
Garda cordons closed off the building on Ranelagh Road last night, as residents in the building – which comprises a number of flats – were moved into a nearby hotel for accommodation.
State pathologist Marie Cassidy arrived at the scene at around 7.30pm yesterday.
A neighbour was visibly shaken, having found out the news.
The woman had been returning from the shop when the building was closed off.
She said she had spoken to the family of the victim and to gardaí during the missing person’s search, but when shown a photograph had never seen Ms Lee before.
After the grim discovery of Ms Lee’s body yesterday, gardaí made another appeal for information. They asked people to contact them at Donnybrook garda station on 01 666 9200 or any garda station.
The suspect is understood to have made ‘certain admissions’ to officers