Body of Roscommon man to be exhumed as part of Garda cold case

Kenneth Fox

The body of 87-year-old Roscommon farmer Liam Farrell will be exhumed on Friday, April 10th, under the auspices of a Garda cold case team investigating the circumstances surrounding his suspicious death six years ago.

As the Roscommon Herald reports, Mr Farrell was found bloodied and bruised by family members at the back door of his home on January 12th 2020. His family firmly believes he was assaulted before suffering a heart attack.

Earlier this month, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan approved a formal request from An Garda Síochána and the Sligo/Leitrim coroner for the exhumation.

The cold case team has now informed the family that it will take place on Friday, April 10th, at Cloonmorris Cemetery in Bornacoola. State Pathologist Professor Linda Mulligan is expected to carry out the new post-mortem examination.

On RTÉ’s Crimecall programme on Monday night, Detective Superintendent Desmond McTiernan, who is heading up the cold case team, issued a renewed appeal for information to assist with the investigation into Mr Farrell’s death.

Speaking after the programme, Willie Farrell, one of Liam Farrell’s sons, said the family is determined to uncover the truth about what happened to their father.

“We are asking anybody to come forward with any little bit of information. We’re pleading upon them to do this, for our father’s memory, for our family, and for the people of Roosky,” he said.

Despite a jury recording an open verdict at Liam Farrell’s inquest in September 2024, his family has always believed that foul play was involved in their father’s death.

The inquest heard how he was found by family members at the back door of his house. He was covered in blood with his shoes and socks removed, his watch broken, and bruising to his left eye and his feet. The jury recorded an open verdict into his death.