Scientists recall gruesome body find for court in Mahon case
A forensic anthropologist has told the jury in Melissa Mahon murder trial that remains found at Lough Gill in Sligo in early 2008 were of a human female aged between 14 and 16 years.
Laureen Buckley told the Central Criminal Court that she examined bones found at the Lough which made up 65% of a full skeleton.
Ronald McManus (aged 44), also known as Ronnie Dunbar, of Rathbraughan Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murdering the schoolgirl in September 2006. He also denies threatening to kill one of his daughters, Samantha Conroy.
Melissa Mahon went missing from the care of the Health Service Executive in Sligo on September 14, 2006. Human remains were discovered along the shore of Lough Gill in February 2008.
Ms Buckley said that she found the bones had been chewed and torn apart by animals. She said it was probably foxes but there was evidence that rats had also attacked the bones. She said the facial bones were missing as were the hands and feet which were probably carried away by animals.
Ms Buckley was able to tell the gender of the person by the size and shape of the pelvic bone. The age could be told from the skull and whether certain bones had fused.
She said the ribs were severely chewed by animals which would “go into the side of a body to get a bite”. She said the skeletal remains were in a very advanced state of decay which could be explained by buffeting against rocks.
Lieutenant Commander Brian Hevers of the Irish Naval Service told Isobel Kennedy SC, prosecuting, that in his opinion Melissa’s body was in the water between the River Bonnet and Lough Gill for a maximum of three weeks.
He described the area along the river where the body was allegedly placed into the water as “very secluded and isolated”. He said that there was a smooth and steady flow of water from the River Bonnet into Lough Gill, the speed of which depended on the time of year.
Lt. Com. Hevers said the river was extremely sheltered in all weather conditions and opened into the lake in a north westerly direction parallel to the shoreline. He said that anything coming out of the river would collect along that shoreline.
He said that the fact that bones were found above the shoreline “suggests to me that remains were moved out of the water by animals and suggests that there was tissue on the remains so would be attractive to animals”.
Lt. Com. Hevers agreed under cross examination by Brendan Grehan SC, defending, that he did not consult meteorological reports pertaining to the 18 months that Melissa was missing. He said that he did not believe that the flow of water from the river to the lake would have been strong enough to wash an object out into the middle of the lake.
A number of male witnesses gave evidence on day 16 of the trial that they played football with the accused in the Teeling Centre in Collooney every Thursday evening between 7pm and 8pm in 2006.
Francis Lyons said that the accused always brought his daughters to football and once witnessed a fight involving hair pulling between Melissa Mahon and Mr Dunbar’s youngest daughter outside football practice.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of six men and six women. It will continue into next week.
