Murder probe is launched into pensioner death
GARDAÍ have launched a murder investigation following the findings of a post-mortem examination conducted on a pensioner found dead in a pool of blood at his Cork home.
The death of Joe O’Callaghan (66) at his home off Galway’s Lane in Douglas, Cork, is now being treated as murder.
Gardaí refused for operational reasons to release the results of the post-mortem conducted yesterday on Mr O’Callaghan at Cork University Hospital by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.
However, it is understood to have found the pensioner met a violent death early on Monday.
One source indicated the father of three had sustained very severe head injuries.
The revelation came as last night gardaí released without charge a 22-year-old man they had been questioning.
A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The young man presented himself voluntarily at Togher garda station a few hours after Mr O’Callaghan’s body was found by his shocked wife,
Angeline.
He was questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
The young man was known to Mr O’Callaghan.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been briefed on the preliminary findings of the post-mortem.
One Garda source described the investigation as “extremely sensitive and quite complex”.
Forced
Gardaí said they were “very pleased” with the information obtained from neighbours and friends of Mr O’Callaghan.
Nothing appeared to have been taken from Mr O’Callaghan’s property, located just across the road from Douglas GAA grounds. There were indications the front door had been forced.
The pensioner was discovered lying in a pool of blood in the hallway with blood spatters found in two other rooms of the property.
Gardaí do not suspect a weapon was used.
“We are all shocked – find whoever did it to him,” pleaded the pensioner’s sister, Sheila Thornhill.