In February of 1996, 16 year old James Healy was found brutally beaten in a field near his home in Tralee. It wouldn’t be long before gardai zeroed in on their prime suspect – a 25 year old man diagnosed with anti social personality disorder.
In fact, police feared that he would one day murder.
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Sources:
Dick Hogan, “Passers-by find battered body in Tralee field” in The Irish Times (26 February 1997) p. 5.
“Delay in removing body is criticised” in The Irish Times (27 February 1997) p 7.
Dick Hogan, “Tanaiste is appalled body was left out for 24 hours” in The Irish Times (28 February 1997) p. 6.
Dick Hogan, “Senior gardai rule out drug link with Kerry death” in The Irish Times (3 March 1997) p. 4.
“Tralee man is remanded on murder charge” in The Irish Times (24 March 1997) p. 6.
“Tralee in fear of man accused of murder, High Court judge told” in The Irish Independent (1 April 1998) p. 4.
“Tralee man on trial for murder of youth (16)” in The Irish Times (10 November 1998) p. 4
“Murdered teenager suffered ‘litany of injuries’ court told” in The Irish Times (11 November 1998) p. 5.
“Body find fuelled mother’s fears for missing son, murder trial told” in The Irish Times (12 November 1998) p. 10.
“Witness says Kerry man told him he had killed teenager” in The Irish Times (13 November 1998) p. 6.
“Teenage witness tells of murder secret” in The Irish Times (14 November 1998) p. 4.
“Murder trial witness accused of telling a ‘pack of lies’” in The Irish Times (17 November 1998) p. 9.
“Murder trial witness says he lied to garda” in The Irish Times (18 November 1998) p. 4.
“Mother of man charged with murder denies attributing remark to her son” in The Irish Times (20 November 1998) p. 6.
“Murder accused ‘said he knew who did it’” in The Irish Times (10 December 1998) p. 4.
“Victim’s short cut home led to death, murder trial told” in The Irish Times (11 December 1998) p. 4.
“Accused named body, court told” in The Irish Times (12 December 1998) p. 4.
“Doctors tell of tests on accused man” in The Irish Times (17 December 1998) p. 4.
“Accused said he killed youth in drugs row, court told” in The Irish Times (18 December 1998) p. 21.
“Gardai planned to trap accused, court is told” in The Irish Times (19 December 1998) p. 4.
“Murder trial adjourned after juror’s wife gives birth” in The Irish Times (12 January 1999) p. 4
“Tralee murder trial hears of letter to gardai” in The Irish Times (14 January 1999) p. 8.
“Jury told of a man’s murder ‘admission’” in The Irish Times (15 January 1999) p. 8.
“Murder accused claims gardai said others did it” in The Irish Times (19 January 1999) p. 7
“Man claims gardai used him as a scapegoat” in The Irish Times (20 January 1999) p. 5
“Murder accused denies meeting” in The Irish Times (21 January 1999) p. 21.
“Man on trial for murder alleges conspiracy against him” in The Irish Times (22 January 1999) p. 6.
Judge warns on result of committing perjury” in The Irish Times (23 January 1999) p. 19
“Defendant bludgeoned deceased to death, says prosecutor” in The Irish Times (26 January 1999) p. 4.
“Kerry man ‘stitched up’ for murder, says counsel” in The Irish Times (27 January 1999) p. 4.
“Murder case jury is sent to hotel” in The Irish Times (29 January 1999) p. 6
“Life for man who murderer teenager” in The Irish Times (30 January 1999) p. 4.
“Man serving life term loses murder appeal” in The Irish Times (17 July 2001) p. 4.
Noel Smith and Stephen Rae, “Young murder victims was horribly beaten” in The Evening Herald (26 February 1997) p. 2.
Noel Smith, “Upset as body of murder boy ‘left too long’” in The Irish Independent (27 February 1997) p. 3.
Noel Smith, “Gardai seek to fill gap in last days of slain youth” in The Irish Independent (28 February 1997) p. 6.
Liz Allen, “’Prime suspect’ in teenager’s murder” in The Sunday Independent (2 March 1997) p. 3.
Conor Keane, “Security videos yield important clues in Tralee murder hunt” in The Kerryman (7 March 1997) p. 10
Conor Keane, “Healy murder: witnesses give depositions at Tralee court” in The Kerryman (6 February 1998) p. 8 .
“Brothers make grisly find while checking horses” in The Kerryman (13 November 1998) p. 8
“Harbison describes murder crime scene” in The Kerryman (13 November 1998) p. 8
“Healy murder trial could take up to six weeks to reach a verdict” in The Kerryman (13 November 1998) p. 8
“Time of death between 6 and 24 hours prior to gruesome find” in The Kerryman (13 November 1998) p. 8
“Asphyxiation and head injuries cause of Healy death” in The Kerryman (13 November 1998) p. 9
Suzanne MacManus, “Mother denies son told her of body location” in The Irish Independent (20 November 1998) p. 13.
Suzanne MacManus, “Jury out for ‘trial within a murder trial’” in The Irish Independent (21 November 1998) p. 9.
Suzanne MacManus, “Legal argument in teen murder case” in The Irish Independent (2 December 1998) p. 8.
“Accused said ‘he knew who killed youth’” in The Irish Independent(10 December 1998) p. 11.
Suzanne MacManus, “Victim killed ‘taking short cut’” in The Irish Independent (11 December 1998) p. 6.
“No suitable place to hold murder accused, say doctor” in The Irish Independent (16 December 1998) p. 4.
Catherine Halloran, “O’Brien classed mildly mentally handicapped in bid for treatment” in The Kerryman (18 December 1998) p. 8
Catherine Halloran, “Psychiatrist says test found O’Brien of ‘lower than average intelligence’” in The Kerryman (18 December 1998) p. 8
Catherine Halloran, “O’Brien ‘threatened to decapitate parents’” in The Kerryman (18 December 1998) p. 8
Catherine Halloran, “Court hears murder accused has anti social personality” in The Kerryman (18 December 1998) p. 8
Suzanne MacManus, “Murder accused ‘upset at sight of pipe weapon’” in the Irish Independent (13 January e1999) p. 4.
Catherine Halloran “Gardai detail reasons for arresting O’Brien ” in The Kerryman (15 January 1999) p. 9
Catherine Halloran, “Absent juror delays trial” in The Kerryman (15 January 1999) p. 9.
Catherine Halloran “O’Brien tells court he is a scapegoat for Healy murder ” in The Kerryman (22 January 1999) p. 8
Catherine Halloran “O’Brien conducted own investigation into Tralee murder” in The Kerryman (22 January 1999) p. 9
Catherine Halloran “O’Brien is confident of triumphant homecoming” in The Kerryman (29 January 1999) p. 10
Catherine Halloran “Defence points to a crack of momentous proportions in State’s case” in The Kerryman (29 January 1999) p. 10
Catherine Halloran “Dedicated garda team closed net on killer” in The Kerryman (5 February 1999) p.