Murdered mum may have met killer at protest as cops fear suspect has fled country & grim body discovery details emerge

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MURDERED mum Jamey Carney may have met her killer at an anti-war protest, The Irish Sun can reveal.

Cops are examining the theory as they continue to hunt for a man known to the 43-year-old following the shocking murder in Killarney, Co Kerry.

A woman with long blonde hair, light blue eyes, and pink lipstick looks directly at the camera, wearing a blue ruffled top and a heart-shaped necklace. — Jamey Carney may have met her killer at an anti-war protest

A woman wearing a hat and scarf stands by a body of water with boats in the background. — The 43-year-old was murdered in Killarney, Co Kerry

The man officers are looking to speak to is from the Middle East.

He launched an asylum bid after arriving here in 2024 and was living in an IPAS centre.

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Mother-of-one Jamey was found dead in her bed at her rented home in the exclusive new-build Homeland Estate at 1.20pm on Tuesday.

The grim discovery was made by her 13-year-old daughter.

DAIL TOLD VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AT 'EPIDEMIC' LEVELS

Picture credit: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire

VIOLENCE against women has become “an epidemic”, the Dail was told today.

And outraged politicians are demanding action to tackle the rising problem.

Mum-of-one Jamey Carney, 43, is the eighth woman in Ireland to lose their life in violent circumstances this year — more than the whole of 2025, say Women’s Aid.

As cops hunt her killer, Labour chief Ivana Bacik told the Taoiseach: “It’s become a cliché to describe violence against women as an epidemic and fatal violence against women as femicide, but that’s the reality.”

Micheal Martin said: “The numbers are not going in the right direction in terms of the continued violence and extreme violence that’s occurring, so there’s a societal response required.”

The Labour leader pointed out nearly 90 per cent of murdered women were killed by a man known to them — with the country’s housing crisis “trapping women and children in violent homes”.

She added: “They simply cannot afford to leave, and they have nowhere to go. Their abusers know this.”

Social Dem Senator Patricia Stephenson said: “Since the devastating murder of Ashling Murphy in 2022, 40 women have died violently in Ireland.

“This is unacceptable and the level of action being taken by the Government to address violence against women is meagre. We can’t let this issue get sidelined. Violence against women must sit at the top of the justice agenda.”

Bacik said a €3million fund, administered by Women’s Aid, is needed to offer “fast financial support for those who need an escape route”.

The Taoiseach said “broadly speaking” the Government is “supportive of any measure that will help women who are victims of continuing domestic violence”.

He pledged to talk to ministers about the proposal.

Gardai this evening confirmed that a post-mortem had been completed by State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan and the probe has been upgraded to a murder investigation.

It’s understood Jamey, who was originally from the Westchester area of New York but moved to Killarney in 2021, was beaten to death and suffered a number of head injuries.

Cops are probing reports she was involved in a row with a man on the night before she was found dead.

And detectives believe Jamey, who worked for a healthcare consulting firm in Tralee, knew her suspected killer for a year-and-a-half.

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One source told The Irish Sun: “The feeling is that she may have met this individual at an anti-war demonstration and kept in contact over the last number of months.

“There were no previous reports of any incidents at her property and Gardai are now seeking to establish why someone would kill her in such a brutal manner.

“Gardai have identified a man known to her, who has gone to ground and are actively searching for that individual. This is a terrible case and a poor child has been left without a mother.”

Jamey’s body was removed from the house, located off the Muckross Road, this morning and taken to University Hospital Kerry, where an autopsy will take place.

Her relatives in the US have been made aware of the murder and are set to travel to Ireland this week.

Popular Jamey’s grandparents were from Co Kerry, it’s understood.

Her dad died last year, while her mother and sister still live in New York.

Her teenage daughter was tonight being comforted by friends.

As the manhunt for Jamey’s suspected killer continues, we can reveal cops believe he entered this jurisdiction from Northern Ireland.

Once in the Republic, he then sought international protection. His application is still being analysed by the Department of Justice.

Although Gardai have established that the man had been in Jamey’s company last week, there have been no sightings of him since her killing.

A bulletin has now been sent to every Garda station in the country with his name and image.

If he’s tracked down, it’s likely he’ll be brought back to Kerry.

The man, who previously lived in France, also has ties to Northern Ireland.

All airports and ports in Ireland are also on the lookout, while detectives have also identified his known associates in Ireland.

Gardai fear he may have fled to Northern Ireland immediately after the mum’s murder.

Under current legislation, the PSNI can arrest and quiz him.

But Gardai would have to hand over any evidence as NI cops would become the lead investigators.

If he managed to reach England, Scotland or Wales, he can only be extradited back to Ireland to face charges.

Detectives will also seek assistance off their UK colleagues.

It’s not clear if the suspect’s DNA is on a database here.

As he was applying for asylum, he does not have access to his passport.

Another source told us: “If this poor woman was killed on Monday night then her killer would have had sufficient time to travel to another location in the country.

“It’s also possible that he could have taken a bus to the North and travelled somewhere else from there. Gardai will continue the search for him and the best thing for him is if he hands himself in and co-operates with the Garda investigation team.”

Gardai tonight confirmed they are following “a definite line of inquiry” and are looking for “a significant person of interest”.

Tributes poured in today for the mother, who had made her home in Killarney in recent years.

One local woman posted: “We have a small group of Americans living in Kerry. We stick together and build little communities. When something like this happens, it shakes you a little bit.

“I think we assume we’re safe on our little island but unfortunately bad people exist everywhere. I hope you and your daughter get the justice you deserve, Jamey.”

Local Independent councillor Martin Grady, who had provided Jamey with professional assistance in recent years, said the entire area is devastated by her death.

He added: “I knew her well. Everyone is really shocked. She was a loving mother and a very hard worker. I would encourage people to help Gardai in this investigation.

“No matter how big or small the information they have, please just give it to the Gardai. This is an absolute tragedy.”

So far this year, eight women in Ireland have lost their lives in violent circumstances — more than the seven recorded by Women’s Aid across the whole of last year.

And Victims Voices, a group which represents women affected by violence, described the latest killing as “deeply concerning”

Campaigner Sonya Stokes said: “It is deeply concerning that one of these women lost her life in her own home — the place where every person should feel safest. Every woman has the right to feel safe in her own home and own community.

“We’re calling on the Government to urgently examine the information and trends being reported by An Garda Siochana, Women’s Aid, the Rape Crisis Network Ireland and other organisations working with victims and survivors of violence.”