An international manhunt is in its fifth day after the murder of an American woman in Ireland, but Irish police have yet to name a suspect or provide any description of the man they are seeking â a decision drawing sharp criticism from many, including a former FBI agent and an Irish politician.
Jamey Carney, 43, a New York native who 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, late Monday, according to The Irish Times. The idyllic southwestern town is hugely popular among American tourists.
Before Carney’s body was discovered Tuesday, the man Irish police describe as a “person of interest” had already traveled about 200 miles from Killarney to Dublin Airport and boarded a flight to Turkey, according to Irish police, suggesting authorities knew his identity but chose not to disclose it publicly.
Some Irish publications have reported that the person of interest is an asylum seeker originally from Jordan who came to Ireland in 2024 amid an influx of illegal immigrants descending on the island country.
“How is the public supposed to help with locating the alleged suspect when Irish authorities won’t even release his name?” former FBI Special Agent Nicole Parker wondered in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Time is of the essence. Every hour or day increases the chance the suspect disappears, destroys evidence or hurts others. Public help is critical. Withholding a photo, name or description for days while the suspect is on the run is counterproductive.”
Parker said that if the roles were reversed and a non-U.S. citizen had been murdered in the United States, authorities would typically release identifying information immediately.
“Law enforcement â local, state and federal, including the FBI and U.S. Marshals â would aggressively release identifying information to the public,” she said. “The public’s help is often what leads to locating fugitives.”
Irish broadcaster RTÃ reported said they were not in a position to comment on the person’s age, name or nationality for legal reasons, though authorities did not specify any such legal basis.
A 2015 immigration law protecting the identities of asylum seekers may explain why Irish police have not identified the person of interest, Gript.ie reported. According to the outlet, the law generally prohibits publishing the identities of asylum seekers to protect them from those they claim to be fleeing.
Fox News Digital asked Irish police to identify the person of interest and explain the legal basis for withholding his identity, but they declined to provide any new information, saying only that there were “no additional updates at this time.”
Independent Dublin City Councilor Gavin Pepper, a critic of into Ireland, slammed the decision not to publicly identify the person of interest. He said the failure to do so is a serious public safety concern.
“That man had a substa
