Three held over 1993 abduction and murder of woman
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GARDAI investigating the abduction and murder of a woman in the midlands 15 years ago made a breakthrough in the unsolved case yesterday.
Three people were arrested in connection with the murder of mother-of-one Marie Kilmartin (35), who vanished from her home in Portlaoise in December 1993.
Gardai arrested two men and a woman in Portlaoise early yesterday morning.
A man and a woman, both in their 60s, were detained at Tullamore garda station, under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, where they can be held for up to 72 hours. A second man (42) was being quizzed in Portlaoise garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
One man was previously arrested in connection with the case in 1994, however, no charges were brought.
Ms Kilmartin, who was originally from Ballinasloe, Co Galway, had been living in Portlaoise for more than 10 years. She was abducted close to her home in Beladd, Portlaoise, in December 1993.
Alarm
Mystery still surrounds where she spent the night of December 16, 1993. That afternoon, she had been helping at a senior citizens' party at the day care centre on New Road, Portlaoise. She returned home and received a phone call from a man at 4.30pm. The alarm was raised after she failed to return home that night.
Her body was found in June 1994, almost 20km from her home on the Laois/Offaly border, submerged in a bog drain. She had been strangled and a concrete block had been placed on her chest to weigh her body down.
Gardai believe the isolated drain where Ms Kilmartin's body was found was consistent with having local knowledge.
Ms Kilmartin's daughter Aine, who was put up for adoption as a baby and didn't know her mother, launched a fresh appeal for information on the 13th anniversary of the murder, in 2006. Crimestoppers offered a substantial cash reward for information on the woman's death at the time.
- Eimear Ni Bhraonain
