An international manhunt is in its fifth day following the murder of an American woman in Ireland, leaving many questioning the decision not to release a suspect's name or description.
Jamey Carney, a 43-year-old New York native who had moved to Ireland in 2021, was found dead after suffering head injuries and suffocating in her home in the picturesque town of Killarney, County Kerry. The idyllic southwestern town is popular among American tourists.
The Irish police have described a "person of interest" who had already traveled over 200 miles from Killarney to Dublin Airport and boarded a flight to Turkey before Carney's body was discovered. This suggests that authorities knew the suspect's identity but chose not to disclose it publicly.
A former FBI agent and an Irish politician are among those criticizing the decision not to release the suspect's name. The agent questioned how the public could help locate the alleged suspect if authorities wouldn't release his name, saying that every hour or day increases the chance the suspect disappears or causes harm.
A 2015 immigration law may be the reason behind the police's decision not to identify the person of interest, which generally prohibits publishing the identities of asylum seekers to protect them from those they claim to be fleeing.
Irish police are treating Carney's death as a murder and are working with international authorities to try to locate the suspect. The search is becoming increasingly difficult as the hours and days pass, with investigators believing the suspect may have already left Turkey and traveled onward to Syria or his native Jordan.
The killing comes as Ireland grapples with a rise in violence against women, with eight women having died in violent circumstances this year. The country does not record the ethnicity of those who commit crimes.
Carney was originally from Westchester County, just north of New York City. She moved to Ireland in 2021 and was known to be a vocal supporter of the Palestine movement. Her social media profiles described her as a "New Yorker in Ireland" and featured photos and videos of her with her daughter and a man she identified as her partner.
Carney's sister described her as an "insanely caring human being" who dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of others. The search for the suspect continues as the international community comes together to support Ireland in the wake of this tragic event.
