A man who was arrested for the murder of Kyran Durnin was found dead just days after reportedly telling neighbors he was not involved in the boy’s disappearance.
The unnamed man, aged in his 30s, was arrested last week at a Garda station in the east of the country in connection with the disappearance of the Co Louth schoolboy.
The arrest came after officers launched house searches in two locations in Drogheda as they tried to find evidence that would reveal details about what happened to the boy and where he is being held.
In a statement today, the Garda confirmed: “Earlier today, Tuesday 17 December 2024, Gardai and emergency services were alerted following the discovery of the body of a man aged in his 30s at a domestic residence in Drogheda, Co. of Louth.
‘The local coroner has been notified and a post mortem examination will be arranged. The result of the autopsy will determine the course of the investigation.”
According to the first indications, it is understood that this is a personal tragedy.
According to the Irish timesThe man had access to Kyran in the period before his last confirmed sighting when he was six years old in 2022.
He was also known to the Durnin family and a close associate of another main suspect in the case.
Officers suspect Kyran may have died in 2022, when he was six years old.
General view of Dundalk in Ireland, where Kyran was reported missing from his home on August 30.
The heartbreaking last photo of Kyran Durnin (pictured right) shows the eight-year-old smiling alongside his two brothers before he was reported missing.
One line of inquiry police were pursuing was that the dead man helped cover up the boy’s disappearance by deceiving child protection workers.
In October, Gardai investigated whether another child had been used to impersonate Kyran in order to deceive social workers.
The unnamed man was released from Garda custody on Friday afternoon after being questioned for 24 hours over Kyran’s case on suspicion of murder.
A woman in her 20s was also arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of murder and released without charge on Wednesday night.
Last week, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said they had been “inundated” with information from the public.
He added: ‘Indeed, when we put out an appeal for information on October 14, we were inundated with information from the public. We are very happy to see that because it gave us a lot of clues and a lot of queries that we can move forward with.
“As this investigation opens, we will begin to learn more about where we are, who the suspects are and then what we need to do to prove what happened to young Kyran.”
But despite searches in Dundalk in October and at the two Drogheda properties this week, the six-year-old’s remains have yet to be recovered.
The deceased reportedly had a history of violent crimes, and sources say his sudden death will likely impede the investigation, which has been underway since October.
Kyran was reported missing from his home in Drogheda on August 30 when he was eight years old, and police in Ireland launched their murder investigation just over a month later.
Officers suspect the boy, who was reported missing in the summer, may have died in 2022, when he was six years old.
Last month, the Children and Families Agency, Tusla, sent a report on its engagement with Kyran and his family to Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman.
O’Gorman said he could not reveal or publish any details of the report as there is an ongoing garda investigation into the boy’s alleged death.
Asked if he identified any flaws in the report, O’Gorman previously said: ‘From what I’ve seen, there are elements that are concerning in terms of the state’s overall response.
“I asked Tusla to carry out its own review and submit any proposals or changes it needed to make to its operations and procedures.”
In a statement, the Garda said: “An Garda Siochana continues to appeal to anyone with information regarding the disappearance and murder of Kyran Durnin, however insignificant it may seem, to contact the Garda investigation team at Drogheda Station. Garda on 041 987. 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or speak to any member of An Garda Siochana.
This is breaking news. More to follow.