Man charged with 1987 murder in Kilkenny court today
A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of an elderly widow in Kilkenny almost 30 years ago.
52-year-old John Joe Malone with an address at 46 Newpark, Kilkenny appeared before a special sitting of Kilkenny District Court earlier today.
79-year-old Ann Nancy Smyth was found dead in her home on Wolfe Tone Street in the city following a fire in 1987.
Mary Cody of the Kilkenny People has said the Garda Cold Case unit reopened the case and received new information.
Ms Cody said “A man was arrested after the murder, there was no body charged at that time, and since then I suppose there has been an awful lot of speculation locally, but no body was charged.”
“And then Gardaí re-opened the investigation and there was I think a number of developments made in recent times which has led to John Joe Malon being charged and brought before the court today.”
