Foul play is not suspected in the death of a man whose decomposed body was found at a derelict cottage.
Officers believe the remains found in a bed at the property in Mallow, Co Cork, may have been there for over 20 years.
Investigators are working on this timeline after finding butter in the fridge with a 2001 expiry date.
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Gardai launched a probe on Friday after being alerted by council staff who started clearing out the cottage on Beecher Street, just yards from a pub.
The postmortem of the man’s skeletal remains by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster on Saturday has confirmed that there is no indication of foul play in his death.
The investigation is now focusing on identifying the man before then trying to find any family.
Gardai will contact dentists locally to see if any dental records can be matched to the deceased.
A source said: “There is no foul play involved whatsoever and it is being treated as a sad and tragic case.
“This is now about getting the man identified and hopefully then relations can be found so this man can be given a respectful funeral and burial.”
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