Moroccan sighting of Emer murder suspect ruled out by gardaí

Gardaí investigating the murder of Emer O’Loughlin 19 years ago have told her family that supposed sightings of the prime suspect in Morocco have been ruled out.

Emer O’Loughlin, a 23-year-old art student, was murdered and the mobile home she was visiting set alight near Gort, Co Galway in 2005.

Gardaí believe her suspected killer, John Griffin from Mervue in Galway, faked his death and fled the country after Ms O’Loughlin’s body was found.

The family say they received “credible” information from a man a number of years ago, that Griffin was in Morocco.

Pam O’Loughlin, Emer’s older sister, said the family passed on the information to An Garda Síochána.

Gardaí submitted an official request to Morocco for assistance through Interpol, according to Ms O’Loughlin.

She said she learned only last week that Moroccan authorities have reported back that Griffin is not in the country.

“It’s soul-destroying,” she said.

The man who shared the information about the alleged sighting of Griffin first contacted Emer’s family a number of years ago.

“He travelled to Morocco frequently. Though he’d not seen Griffin himself, local people had said there was an Irishman fitting Griffin’s description who was there. He said he showed locals posters of Griffin and he confirmed that he was the same man,” Pam O’Loughlin said.

“The official line is that he is not there,” she said. “It’s a constant chase.”

Emer was studying art in Galway and was living with her boyfriend in a mobile home in Ballybornagh. On April 8, 2005, she was preparing to go to college.

She needed to charge her phone but there was an electrical problem at their mobile home. Her boyfriend suggested she use the electricity in a neighbouring mobile home owned by John Griffin. Soon after, a fire broke out in Griffin’s mobile home and Emer’s body was discovered inside the burnt-out caravan.

In 2010 her remains were exhumed during a cold case review — and tests confirmed that she died a violent death. The case was upgraded to murder.

On the 19th anniversary of her murder, Emer’s father, Johnny, and her sister, Pam, appealed for information on RTÉ’s Crimecall.

Gardaí told Crimecall they have never received a missing persons report for John Griffin, who they believe he was the last person to see Emer alive.

He would now be around 56 years old and is just under six foot tall with an Egyptian-style tattoo on his throat.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimecall on 1800 40 50 60 or Gort garda station on (091) 636400.