An American woman, Jamey Carney, 43, was found dead in her home in Killarney, County Kerry, on Tuesday, July 7, initiating a murder investigation by Irish police. An Garda Síochána has launched an international manhunt for a person of interest who reportedly fled the country before Carney's body was discovered.
Carney, originally from Westchester County, New York, had relocated to Ireland in 2021 with her young daughter. According to the Irish Independent, the person of interest allegedly fled to Turkey. Some Irish publications have reported the individual is an asylum seeker. The State Department confirmed the death of a U.S. citizen in County Kerry and stated it is providing consular assistance to the family.
Irish police reported that the person of interest left the jurisdiction in the early hours of Tuesday. Detectives are coordinating with international law enforcement partners to identify and locate the individual. Investigators believe the person of interest may have traveled to Ireland after arriving in the United Kingdom and are working with British authorities to trace his movements. However, Irish police have not released the individual's name, image, or specific description, citing legal reasons.
Carney's social media depicted her as a "New Yorker in Ireland" and included content with her daughter and a partner. She also expressed support for the Free Palestinian movement and criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in her online profiles. Documents indicate she had ties to Rockland County, New York, and northern New Jersey, and was known in the Irish-American community of Yonkers, New York.
Sources cited by the Irish Independent suggest Carney was found with severe head and neck injuries and that the room where she was discovered was bloodstained, indicating a possible struggle. Carney worked for a healthcare outsourcing company in Ireland after a career as an insurance agent and real estate salesperson in the New York metropolitan area. She is remembered locally as a devoted mother.
The incident has caused concern in Killarney, a popular tourist destination known for Killarney National Park and the Ring of Kerry.