The investigation into the death of American national Jamey Carney in Killarney, Ireland, is focusing on the hours leading up to her murder, including whether the suspect knew her 13-year-old daughter would be away from home. The daughter returned from a sleepover to find her mother, 43, deceased, having suffered a violent assault. The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Jordanian national Ahmad Al-Saqar, fled Ireland for Turkey on Tuesday morning, hours after Carney's body was discovered.
Al-Saqar, who had been in a relationship with Carney and met her at a Palestine solidarity rally 18 months prior, traveled from Killarney to Dublin by bus before taking a flight to Istanbul. Investigators are examining how he was able to leave the country so easily, particularly as he had reportedly arrived in Ireland as an asylum seeker in 2024 and was awaiting an appeal after an initial asylum application rejection. Questions are being raised about the security protocols at the accommodation center where he was staying.
Carney, originally from New York, was an active member of the Killarney For Palestine group and a vocal critic of the Trump administration's immigration policies. Her activism has become a focal point for a campaign of online hate from individuals and media commentators in the United States. Figures associated with the MAGA movement have reportedly flooded Carney's social media with abusive messages, celebrating her death and making derogatory remarks about her activism and her relationship with Al-Saqar.
Carney's cousin, Ryan Fox, has appealed for an end to the hateful rhetoric, urging people not to use the tragedy to promote bigotry or racism. He emphasized that Carney was a compassionate individual who advocated for equal rights.
Carney moved to Ireland with her daughter in 2021. The daughter, Michaela, is a first-year student at St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School and reportedly well-integrated into the community, participating in local GAA sports clubs. Family sources believe Michaela wishes to remain in Ireland, where Carney also has extended family.
Plans are underway for a memorial walk in Killarney National Park, a place Carney frequented with her daughter. GoFundMe pages have been established to support Carney's family, raising thousands of dollars.