Sophie: A Murder in West Cork - Netflix.

I think the speculation in every direction allows an open mind on what has happened. However, I don't think that all of us participating here will be able to solve the riddle. There are too many open ends.

Things will possibly change once there are new facts from that trip to France. However I doubt that this will lead to a conviction in a court of law.

Oddball speculation from my part: Does anybody think the killer is still alive? And possibly also reading what's being discussed in this forum? - and maybe even participating in this forum?

Also another speculation: Is there somebody on that peninsula still alive who has actually seen it all, witnessed it all, been there and seen the whole murder just by accident. Possibly a rare speculation since the location is so remote, but not impossible.

That's the big question, planned or unplanned killing and whether something points more into which direction. Trying to explain planned or unplanned, I would in my opinion not look a how she was killed, as the murder site could have been staged, especially at this time of the night and under general cover of darkness.

To me, I always thought the killing was planned. I would still find it hard to believe that somebody builds up a rage against Sophie in the middle of the night and not understanding the reasons shy.

Also, I think it could hardly have been a neighbour dispute over who owns what at night e.g. the shed, this would have happened in daylight or the evening.

If the motive was sexual, I also don't think it could have been rage at that time. Killing somebody in rage some time from midnight to early morning? I'd say if it was sexual and rage, it would have been more likely to have been before midnight, with somebody she knew, possibly stayed at her place, or visiting her at a more social hour.

And if it was drug related, they planned her killing with certainty.

I would also exclude some random killing. For starters the road is nowhere to roam to, other than a cul de sac. Whoever goes there has a reason, which is either Alfie and Shirley, the Richardsons or Sopie. And for roaming the countryside in the middle of the night, and that in moist cold December the weather was simply not favourable.

I think the killer knew the area well, or was at least somewhat familiar with the area. He possibly knew that the Richardsons were not at home. This doesn't mean he was a local, but may have acquired local knowledge of the area, just by himself, checking things out, or received the necessary information from the one who may have hired him.

I have heard about this party at Alfie and Shirley before. Is it known how many guests were there? And when did they leave? Were the guests ever questioned by police?

If it's an elevated site, a hill, it might be, even from that distance. Whatever, Jules Thomas made that statement. Her recollection could have been dulled by alcohol.

Whoever "staged" the murder scene - as you speculate - must have a real flair for the dramatic or lack any dramatic imagination at all, it might be more accurate to say. If I were the killer here and wanted to "stage" the scene I would make it appear like a suicide and slash her wrists or neck or hang her from a rafter or something like that. She would hardly have bashed her own head in with a heavy concrete block now, would she? Trying to imagine the scene of her final moments I see the helpless, disabled and stunned victim lying prone in the ditch and the enraged and, probably,drink and drug fuelled killer looming over her. Nothing about this was cold, clinical or calculated. A crime of passion for sure born out of raw emotion. The exact series of events leading to this scenario will probably be never discovered.

I don't know if it's automatically common sense that the killer has been in the area earlier that night. It's possible, but then again, it may not be. Anybody visiting Alfie and Shirley would most likely have driven, I'd say, meaning another car was at their house and possible tyre tracks, etc....

The thing is, whatever we're speculating, and it is only speculation, it always boils down to Alfie and Shirley. And there are a couple of points which are to my knowledge clearly beyond speculation: ( pls correct me here )

• The were the only ones who lived there all year round, knowing more about what's going on in the area than all the others, Richardsons and Sophie.
• They claim they didn't hear anything that night, - something which is hard to believe.
• Alfie was apparently an occasional drug user, suggesting connections into certain circles, - he must have gotten the drugs from somewhere.
• They were the first to discover the body.
• On the night of the murder they were both the only ones alone in the area, together with Sophie.
• Alfie had a wound apparently from a dog, but didn't own a dog or if not his dog, it's not known who's dog it was.

Finding no DNA, no fingerprints, no fiber of clothes at all at the murder site, leads me to speculate, - like others.

How come nothing was found, nothing at all? Was it all down to police incompetence, or was the crime scene cleaned up ?

The latter would suggest the killer had a lot of time to do so, knew he was alone for a longer period of time, and maybe had help to do so by somebody else.

Also this brings up the thought that she wasn't killed by the gates, but somewhere else and then carried there. The killer knew that the police would never find his DNA on or near the brambles and the briars, as they might have occurred elsewhere? Again, it's just a speculation, - could have been.

Fact is, the police didn't find anything, either by incompetence or the crime scene was staged and cleaned.

One thing to me is certain: If it was a possible rage killing the crime scene was remarkably clean.

If somebody went there to see Alfie and Shirley, they were probably invited. Tradesmen or deliver drivers, not at this time of the night, farmers possibly also not at this time, peeping tom, I'd say no.

How come Bailey and Jules thought there was a party going on at Alfie and Shirley's? There must have been something otherwise they wouldn't have come up with this idea. Loud music? They probably didn't hear that from that distance, but lights on? Maybe? Headlights from a car, maybe? Why? Maybe to clean up a crime scene?

Again, speculation from my side. Headlights from a car can be quite strong to illuminate the murder site, dispose of any evidence, clean something up, etc....

I am not suggesting Alfie and Shirley were the killers, but I am just speculating and examining the possibility, just for exercise....

A one horse town then with many men in black on a Saturday afternoon. How many men do you think would have been thumbing a lift early that Sunday morning?

It seems highly unlikely she would not have seen Bailey about town before, giving that she was working on its main street of this "one horse town" for months.

What makes her identification even less credible is that in her description she didn't once mention that the guy was big \ tall etc. Even if she couldn't get the height right, the first thing you'd say if you saw Bailey is that. And even if you couldn't put it into feet and inches you would have an idea that of the people you have seen from window X they were one of the biggest.

I'd say noises are impossible to hear at that distance. ( depends on the noise of course)

In the best case one would have seen lights, a car driving, headlights on. However I doubt that anybody would have paid attention, not even the residents at Hunt's Hill.

Well unless you can establish that Marie was a regular in the local pubs or alternatively that Bailey liked to hang out in the ladies clothing department, I don`t see how they would have known each other at all.

We can be relatively certain that the man hitching on the Airhill Road was Bailey. He didn`t even deny it when asked the direct question by the West Cork people. It gives some credibility to what Marie initially said. It wasn`t all fabricated.

So on Marie`s first intervention in the drama, before the whole "Fiona and Kealfada" circus kicked off, at a time when she didn`t know Bailey from Adam and at a time when the Gardaí didn`t know that Bailey had been on the Airhill Road on the Sunday morning, we have Marie telling us that the man hanging around outside her shop whilst Sofie was inside, was the same man that she saw hitching the next morning. We can also presume that she didn`t think the Airhill Road man was particularly tall either, even though we know it had to be Bailey.

But you hold on tight to that inches discrepancy. There`s a wood around here somewhere. Maybe when we get past that bunch of trees we`ll find it.

No contradictions here.....

I'd say it's not really credible to be able to tell from Hunt's Hill whether it was Alfie and Shirley who had the light on or Sophie. The distance is just to long. Maybe with binoculars and night vision it may have been possible, but with the naked eye, I'd say no.

We cant believe anything Marie says - thats the problem. She is now saying the man wore a beret. I dont know why you are hung up on the Airhill rd sighting which was more than 24 hours before the body was discovered. Maries sightings were to suit the situation and make the gardai happy. It wouldnt surprise me for Marie to change her mind again and say it was a woman.

With 5 kids and it being Christmas I dont know how Marie had time to be gadding about as much as she was.