Murder investigation launched into Amanda Carroll’s death
Gardaí have launched a murder investigation after a post mortem showed a mother of two died from asphyxiation.
While there were initial indications 33-year-old Amanda Carroll may have suffered a cardiac arrest, suspicions were aroused after bruising was spotted on her neck.
Her body was discovered on Sunday afternoon after a relative raised the alarm on entering her apartment in Cabra, in Dublin’s north inner city.
The Dublin Fire Brigade was called to the scene. On examining the body, they alerted gardaí.
Gardaí said there had been signs suggesting Ms Carroll, who had two sons, aged five and 16, had been dead from the previous night. There were no signs of a break-in.
It is understood one of her children discovered her body and contacted a relative.
A 35-year-old man known to Ms Carroll was arrested soon after the grim find. He was due to be either released overnight or charged at the station and held in custody pending a court appearance.
It is understood members of Ms Carroll’s wider family are caring for her children as they await the release of her body and the making of funeral arrangements.
Ms Carroll was originally from Champions Avenue in the north-east inner city but had been living in Homestead Court on Quarry Rd, Cabra, for the last 11 years.
Ms Carroll attended secondary school at Larkin Community College and, almost 10 years ago, completed a child development course at Marino College.
The Garda Technical Bureau continued a detailed forensic examination at her apartment in the gated complex yesterday.
An autopsy was conducted yesterday morning and found Ms Carroll had died as a result of asphyxiation, or suffocation.
The findings directed the garda investigation which was formally upgraded to a murder hunt.
The investigation is being led by detectives at Mountjoy Garda Station, who are understood to be following a certain line of inquiry.
Gardaí had arrested a man shortly after her body was discovered and detained him under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
It allows for a maximum detention period of up to 24 hours, excluding sleep breaks. The man opted for a break overnight on Sunday, which meant his detention period ran up until around 1.30am today.
He was due to be either released without charge, pending a file to the DPP, or charged at the station and held before being brought to court this morning.
DNA samples and fingerprints will have been taken from the man which will be compared against any forensic evidence gathered by the Technical Bureau or Forensic Science Ireland.
Detectives will speak to people close to Ms Carroll in a bid to piece together events leading up to her violent death.
