LAST UPDATE | 15 Jan 2020

GARDAÍ HAVE CONFIRMED that the dismembered remains found in Coolock, north Dublin earlier this week are of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods from Drogheda.

Remains were discovered in the Moatview area of Coolock on Monday evening, and gardaí had probed links to this incident and the disappearance of a boy from the Louth area.

Gardaí had said they would seek to verify the identity of the victim through DNA results from Forensic Science Ireland.

Keane disappeared on Sunday 12 January and gardaí described what happened to him in a statement this evening as “a brutal and savage attack on a child and is completely unacceptable in any normal democratic society”. 

He was last seen in Drogheda by his family around 6pm on Sunday evening. 

He was wearing a navy Hugo Boss tracksuit, black Hugo Boss runners – brown sole, black laces – along with a red/orange Canada Goose jacket and a Gucci baseball cap.

At around 9.55pm on Monday evening, gardaí responded to a 999 call that a bag containing human remains had been found at Moatview Drive, Priorswood, Dublin 17. A black Puma sports bag was recovered which contained partial human remains.

At 1.30am this morning, gardaí responded to a call from Dublin Fire Brigade stating that there was a vehicle on fire at Trinity Terrace, Dublin 3. Further partial human remains were found in this vehicle.

Gardaí said a number of searches had been conducted in the Drogheda area yesterday, with one search ongoing at present. 

Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan said that the child’s death is “certainly an escalation” in violence.

He said: “The persons involved are intent on inflicting maximum amount of damage to each side.”

Asked if this murder was to send a message to a rival gang – he added “we don’t know”.In relation to any potential retaliation, Mangan added: “We have the area well policed and it’s certainly one line we’d be aware of.”

Mangan added national units have now been drafted in to quell any future violence. “My appeal to the public is to plead work with us,” he said.

There are a number of interested groups who are interested in controlling certain parts of society through cocaine They want to finance their own lifestyles through drug dealing and intimidation and we’re not going to allow that happen.

Incident rooms have been established at Drogheda, Coolock and Mountjoy Garda Stations with the investigation being coordinated in Drogheda. 

A family liaison officer remains in close contact with Keane’s family, while Garda Commissioner Drew Harris visited Drogheda and Coolock garda stations today.

Investigating officers have made a number of appeals for information:

• Information from anyone who has knowledge of Keane’s movements from when he was last seen on 12 Sunday January at approximately 6pm in the vicinity of Dominic’s Bridge, Drogheda.
• Information or dashcam footage from anyone in the Moatview Drive, Moatview Gardens, Dublin 17 area on 13 Monday January from 9pm – 10pm.
• Information on the movements of a blue Volvo S40 bearing false registration plates 141 MO 1925 which was abandoned and set on fire in the Trinity Terrace, Dublin 3 area on the morning of 15 Wednesday January at approximately 1.30am.
• Information on the whereabouts of a blue Volvo S40, 161 D 48646, which was the subject of an unauthorised taking from Sandymount, Co. Dublin on 15 December 2019.
• Information on the clothing Keane was wearing at the time he went missing.

Any person with information can contact Gardaí at Drogheda Garda Station on 041 9874200, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, Crime Stoppers 1800 250 025 or any Garda station.

With reporting from Garreth MacNamee

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