Murder suspect being held by U.S. authorities

Garda Adrian Donohoe

 

By Irish Echo Staff

The chief suspect in the murder of Garda Adrian Donohoe is in custody here in the U.S. and is facing deportation back to Ireland.

The 25-year-old, a native of South Armagh, was being kept under surveillance after Gardaí passed on information to U.S. law enforcement.

He was detained by Immigration and Control Enforcement officers after he overstayed his allotted time on U.S. soil.

Two other suspected members of the five-man gang involved in the murder of Garda Donohoe are also believed to be in the U.S., while the other suspect lives near Dundalk, County Louth, the Irish Independent reported.

Sign up to The Irish Echo Newsletter

Sign up today to get daily, up-to-date news and views from Irish America.

Garda Donohoe, a 41-year-old father-of-two, was shot dead in the line of duty during an armed robbery at the Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, near Dundalk, on the morning of January 25, 2013.

Nobody has yet faced charges in connection with either the murder or robbery.

According to the Irish Times, senior gardaí have described the arrest of the chief suspect in the in New York yesterday as a “significant breakthrough.”

The suspect could be deported as early as next week and will face immediate arrest upon arriving in Ireland.

“Adrian Donohoe was the very embodiment of dedication to the community he served. He was not only integral to the team at Dundalk Garda station, but also St. Patrick’s GAA in Lordship, and to the lives of the children of the underage teams he coached,” said Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan earlier this year.

“An Garda Síochána is committed to ensuring Adrian’s killers are brought to justice,” Commissioner O’Sullivan said.

 

Donate