The dead man who was carried into the post office to collect pension passed away just three hours before, police believe.
Two men who took the body of Peadar Doyle, 66, into his local branch to claim the money on Friday continue to be quizzed by cops, DublinLive report.
The brazen duo, said to be in their 30s, reportedly propped the corpse up on their shoulders and took him to a post office in Carlow, south-east Ireland.
It has been claimed the body of the man was pushed up against the counter so he could be identified - and the pair given the cash.
But a member of staff at the branch immediately realised the pensioner was ashen-faced and called the police.
The men are then said to have dropped the body on the floor and fled the scene.
Gardai now suspect the man was dead for up to three hours before he was brought to the post office.
A postmortem has now determined he did not die in suspicious circumstances.
The Irish Sun on Sunday claim they are now looking into a claim the duo’s scheme was to obtain money to buy drugs.
In a statement, police said: “A postmortem of the deceased has been concluded. The results of the post mortem are not being released for operational reasons. Foul play is not suspected."
One of the suspects had earlier walked into the post office and attempted to claim the pension of the man, it is claimed.
After being told only Mr Doyle could obtain the money in person, the pair allegedly returned a few hours later.
The pair put a woolly jumper over his face and a hat on his head before taking him out of his house and back to the Post Office around 400 metres away.
Onlookers have claimed his feet were “dragging” along the ground on the short journey.
A source last night told the Irish Sunday Mirror the two men were insisting Mr Doyle was alive when they brought him in to collect his welfare payment.
A priest who administered last rites to Mr Doyle said: “Hopefully he is at peace now.
"I made my way into the newsagents and the remains of the deceased was there with the staff and Gardai around him. He was not alone.
“The shop was closed, and I didn’t know the man, but the staff were upset, naturally. He was anointed, he got the last rites, of course, and we all gathered around him and prayed. It was very dignified.
“The staff were brave, it was a peaceful moment, very, very dignified."
His funeral Mass will take place at the Church of the Holy Family, on Monday followed by his burial in St Mary’s Cemetery.
