Mystery man, arrested at Cork passport office, is identified through enquiries with FBI
The man has been in custody since his arrest at the passport office on South Mall, Cork, on September 14. Picture Denis Minihane.
A 72-year-old American previously known as Philip Morris has been identified through enquiries with the FBI as Randolph Kirk Parker.
Detective Garda Padraic Hanley of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation came to Cork District Court today to announce progress in the matter which has attracted intense media interest due to the mystery surrounding the case.
The first thing that occurred as the prosecution and defence gathered in Courtroom 1 at Anglesea Street was that the accused had to be brought to the booth in Cork Prison for video link with the courthouse.
The 72-year-old man was only required to confirm that he could see and hear the court. He wore a grey tracksuit, black-framed glasses and had his receding grey hair tied back in a ponytail.
Sergeant Pat Lyons said, “There is an application on the part of the state to amend the name on the charge sheets.”
Det. Garda Hanley then declared, “We believe we have identified the accused through enquiries with the FBI as Randolph Parker with a date of birth, the seventh of the third, 1951.”
Clarifying the name to be entered on the charge sheets for Judge Mary Dorgan, Det. Garda Hanley then spelled out the name, Randolph Parker.
Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer said, “There is no objection to that amendment to the charge sheets. Mr Norris here to fore acknowledges that his name is as stated by Detective Garda Hanley – Randolph Kirk Parker.”
Sergeant Lyons said, “The state have crossed that hurdle of identifying the defendant. To complete the investigation regarding the original offences we require a four-week adjournment to December 5.”
Mr Buttimer said there was consent from the defence to that remand.
“Now that Mr Parker has acknowledged his correct name it is hoped the matter will be able to make progress with the DPP,” Mr Buttimer said.
The issues to be determined by the Director of Public Prosecutions will include additional charges – if any – to be brought, and whether the case is to be dealt with at district or circuit level.
As it stands, the defendant, now identified as Randolph Parker, is charged on counts related to an investigation into the alleged application for passports in the names of babies who died in the 1950s may have been solved, a detective revealed today.
A fortnight ago, Det. Garda Hanley said they had the defendant’s name, although this was not revealed in court until today.
Last month he said, “We believe we now have a positive identification for this gentleman from an FBI arrest record in 1970.”
He has been in custody since his arrest at the passport office on South Mall, Cork, on September 14.
It was alleged that he had passports in the names of two babies who died within three months of birth in 1952 and 1953.
Detective Garda Hanley previously said the investigation into the man’s identity was going on through Interpol – the international police network which has 195 member countries.
“Fingerprints are still being examined in different jurisdictions. In Ireland we have enquiries through the Residential Tenancy Board, the ESB, VHI. Enquiries are ongoing internationally in relation to fingerprints still. A number of addresses in this jurisdiction that may or may not be linked to this gentleman (are being examined),” Det. Garda Hanley said on October 10.
One charge states that on September 11 this year at the passport office on South Mall, Cork, he provided information or documents which were false or misleading, in connection with a passport application.
There are two similar charges referring to an unknown date between September 12 and 25 2012 at the Passport Office on South Mall, Cork and the application for the issue of a passport, and one final, similar charge referring to a different date, June 7 2022.
App?
