HUNT CONTINUES
‘Violent’ suspect in Kyran Durnin murder probe is male unrelated to family as relatives get ‘outrageous’ death threats
Cops are still trying to find eight-year-old Kyran Durnin
ONE of the main suspects in the murder of little Kyran Durnin is a male unrelated to his family, The Irish Sun has learned.
The man, who knew the eight-year-old child last seen in May 2022, has a history of violence and is known to Gardai.
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He no longer has any contact with Kyran’s relatives and hasn’t been in touch with them for several months.
The man is understood to be living in the County Louth area and has not yet been brought in for questioning.
Gardai have been trying to establish his movements over the last couple of years and where precisely he lived.
He would have had contact with Kyran and knew him well.
We have also learned that a number of the child’s distraught relatives have received death threats and have gone into hiding.
A family source said: “Outrageous death threats have been made against a number of them and they have left their homes for their own safety.”
The child’s father has spoken at length to detectives and told them everything he knew about his son and his disappearance.
His mother — Kyran’s grandmother — made a passionate plea on social media appealing for anyone with information about him to come forward and contact Gardai.
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She posted a picture of the child on Facebook and wrote: “This is my grandson Kyran. If anyone has information about him or his whereabouts can you please contact Gardai. He needs to be found as soon as possible.”
The child’s aunt on his father’s side also thanked members of the public for all their help in trying to locate him.
Ireland's Longest Unsolved Missing Persons Cases
Garda Commissioner expressed his shock at the case in recent days.
Harris said: “I’m over 40 years now in the police and I’ve not really seen the like of it. I cannot think of a similar set of circumstances.”
He added: “This is a murder investigation. It has been properly resourced as a murder investigation.”
“Outrageous death threats have been made against a number of them and they have left their homes for their own safety.”
Family source
Meanwhile, Gardai are investigating a lead that a child with Kyran’s name and date of birth was booked into and stayed in a bed and breakfast in Dundalk earlier this year.
The owners of the establishment contacted them in the past few days to let them know.
Gardai have yet to prove the child concerned was Kyran and it would go against their previous assertion that the boy was dead and had not been seen for over two years.
MEETING IMPERSONATION
A child who was used to impersonate Kyran had previously been brought to a meeting with social workers from Tusla last summer.
Kyran was also reportedly last seen alive by a family member at a house in Drogheda along with his mother Dayla Durnin on August 28 — two days before he and his mum were reported missing to the Gardai on August 30.
His mother has since been found safe and well in the UK.
'COMPLICATED CASE'
A Gardai source said: “This is a very complicated case. There appears to be elements of fear, violence and coercion. The truth will eventually come out.”
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Gardai are now hoping to begin searching another house over the next week in Drogheda in an attempt to find Kyran’s body.
The Irish Sun has learned that officers were informed by at least one family source that Kyran is dead, but have yet to receive any precise details about how and when it happened.
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