Murder at the Cottage | Sky

The thing is the murderer was not worried that he left anything incriminating behind. Either he cleaned up methodically and knew that there was neither fingerprints, footprints nor DNA, etc... or he knew that the police or forensics won't find anything because they were in it as well. Whatever the option of these two suggestions, the killer felt safe, and felt he had nothing to fear.

The murder was also too violent in nature, that it could have been the result of a crime of passion or something like that. Bashing somebody's head in like this, and multiple times, would either indicate a very strong hate for that person ( for whatever reason which is unknown, but that must have built up over time ), or setting an example to others, sending a message, ( if Sophie was interfering in somebody's affairs ) and also to make sure, she was really dead and gone forever.

One fact is also certain: The killer must have had blood all over him and his clothes if one considers how often Sophie's head was bashed in. He must have washed up somewhere. If he made it home, he must have either lived alone or done it without the knowledge of his partner/wife, or gone somewhere where he wasn't seen.

Who knows why? Whoever conducted a review of the original investigation - was it James Hamilton the former DPP? - concluded that pages from these so called jobs books relating to the case appeared to have been carefully cut out and were missing. That is all. We can only speculate why that happened. It could be for some sinister reason or it could be for some innocuous reason. I think there is too much significance attached to the matter.

Ain't that just hard to believe...??

Run a woman thru the briars, and smash her head in with a block(s), and not leave one iota of evidence at the scene...??

1996 was a while ago granted, but it wasn't the stone age.

So not one fibre from a glove, overcoat, scarf, trousers.....??

Not one print lifted from the gate..??

Not one stray hair gently swaying in the wind anchored to a briar...??

Diddley Squat!

Well, apart from the Doc Martin foot prints, the preferred shoe of the An Garda Siochana...

Really is hard to believe such a savage killing left no contamination behind... Like the crime scene was forensically sterilized...

How could that happen I wonder....??

I don't know why i replied to you earlier, I must have forgotten that you should be ignored.

No Saabsaab , that may not work.

You need to find an excuse for your DNA to be found at the scene.

No do trawl back and quote back to me where I have 'full on' stated anything of the sort.

Yes,

I was there, but I wasn't.

That's very funny. You could have found some quotes quicker. Maybe not.

I think it was the pathologist in the Jim Sheridan documentary who described that the murderer must have had blood all over him, the way Sophie was killed. He was pretty certain about that one. Yes, sure, he could have worn something that can easily be wiped down, and yes the murder could be methodically and planned to the detail. We don't know that. We, or at least I am speculating that it's more likely a planned murder than an unplanned one.

you're going from risible to puerile, maybe you ought to take your own advice; " Anyway I'm going to leave it at that."

Lets examine the after murder scenario:

More than likely, the assailant was covered in blood. Certainly from the knee's down, and likely his upper body too.

He either arrived at Sophie's on foot, or drove there.

If he was on foot, the risk of capture is increased. There is no way he can avoid leaving a trail of blood splatters in his wake... Every blade of grass he walks on, every bush / ditch he rubs off will leave something behind him.

How does the murderer evade being sighted as he makes his getaway? The roads are way too risky, he'd have to make his escape off road. This is made more difficult given the time of year, scrambling over the moors at night is ridiculous.. You would be leaving footprints and blood splatters everywhere, slip and fall, hey presto, we have a hand print in the mud. I don't buy this escape theory.

Tyre marks were found at the scene besides the gate.. Along with the infamous Doc martin footprints. It makes more sense to me that the assailant was using a car.

So he kills Sophie, goes back up to the house for some unknown reason and tries the door (shuts the door to maybe?), returns to the car and makes his escape. No more evidence left once he departs the crime scene.

The down side of the escape by car, is that he has now contaminated a vehicle that he has had access to, which will directly link him to the murder. So the car is now a burden to him along with the clothes he was wearing at the time.

We move onwards.. The killer has escaped the scene either on foot or by car, what's the next step?

Obviously its to get rid of all incriminating evidence. Literally every shred of clothing you have on you, scrub your hands, nails, hair.. everything!. What about the car then?? It has to be deep cleaned on the quiet, can I really get rid of all the blood, what about the residue of blood the eye cannot see? Could there be matching earth on the tyres from Sophie's laneway, did she touch the car, did anybody see me on the road? Did a neighbour notice me coming home at strange o'clock??

Did the perpetrator live with a partner or family? Did he change somewhere else? Did he confide in a trusted friend that something terrible had happened? Was he helped to conceal his actions? At some point, and with tremendous urgency, the killer had to strip off and change his clothes. He had to shower himself and dispose of his kill suit - Where was he able to do this?

The Following Day

As the news spreads of the brutal, savage slaying of the petite non national, the tension must be unbearable for the killer. Everybody is talking about it, the news agency's of the world are arriving in Schull, its the lead story on television, every radio station, camera's everywhere.. Word is filtering through that the big boys from Dublin are on the way down with their jazzy forensic kits... The heat is on.

The killer has to be affected. His family will see the change in him (if he has one). His friends & colleagues will see the change in him. Did he phone in sick to work that day? Did he break from his usual routine that day? His mind must have been racing with thought of potential mistakes made, how soon before the knock at the door comes? Need to throw a curve ball here..

A distraction was needed. Maybe to buy more time to ensure a proper 'clean up' had been done?

The aftermath of the murder is just as murky as the murder itself. The murder occurred somewhere between midnight and 8am, the body was reported at 10am. This leaves an exceptionally tight window to dispose of all materials tying the assailant to the murder. (Not to mention the mindset).

You have clothes, probably a car, shoes / boots.... A new day is dawning, have to carry on as normal without raising any suspicions?? tick.. tick.. tick..

Yep - The after murder story is ever bit as complexing as the actual murder.