Laois councillors want Imelda Keenan case upgraded to murder investigation

The unsolved case of a missing Laois woman has been highlighted by a Laois councillor this week, with his query to be sent to Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan.

Imelda Keenan from Mountmellick was reported missing nearly 32 years ago in Waterford city where she lived.

Her family were recently devastated to be told by An Garda Síochána that her case is not being upgraded to a murder investigation, telling the Leinster Express / Laois Live it was like a 'knife in their hearts'. 

Cllr Tommy Mulligan of Portlaoise Municipal District tabled a motion to the October meeting of Laois County Council. He asks Minister O'Callaghan to "clarify any national guidance that may exist for An Garda Síochána to upgrade the cases of persons that have been treated as missing persons for substantial periods of time to murder investigations".

"I was approached by a member of the Keenan family. Imelda went missing between December 1993 and January 1994. Her family have been requesting that the case be treated as a murder, not a missing person. 

"It was her brother Ned who reported her missing. Her fiancé never did. Her diary, her glasses and her Christmas presents to her family were all left in her flat, and a wreath for her father's grave. She never returned home for Christmas," Cllr Mulligan said.

He claimed that Imelda's flat was "never examined" in the investigation, and that Imelda "had experienced numerous injuries" before her disappearance. Cllr Mulligan said the family claim that her medical records "went missing" and her fiancé "never took part in searches".

"They experienced 31 years of pain and heartache, I'm just trying to help the Keenan family. I am asking Laois County Council to up their support. Whatever comes back from the Minister, I will relay to the family," Cllr Mulligan said.

He recently took part in a TG4 documentary about the murder of Laois woman Marie Kilmartin, whose body was found but not her killer. 

Cllr James Kelly seconded the motion.

"We can't be seen to be advising An Garda Síochána on how to conduct their business. I am fully aware that to upgrade, there needs to be evidence of foul play, or forensic evidence. 

"But Deirdre Jacob went missing in 1998 and her case was upgraded to murder investigation 20 years later. Annie McCarrick's was upgraded, Jojo Dollard went missing in 1995, her case was upgraded in five years because of a campaign in her area. 

"We're asking the Minister to give the Gardaí more investigative liberty to upgrade this to an murder investigation, in a timely fashion," Cllr Kelly said.

Cllr Marie Tuohy supports the motion, saying that Imelda Keenan's family have endured "a living hell".

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"Living with all that trauma and no light at the end of the tunnel. An upgrade would give them something to cling to," she said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley agreed.

"It's been a terrible tragedy for the family. I know some of them. Anything we can do to highlight the importance of this," she said.