A man arrested last week in connection with the suspected murder of Irish schoolboy Kyran Durnin has been found dead.
The man was released without charge last Friday as an “intrusive” search at a home in Co Louth concluded.
Police said emergency services were contacted following the discovery of a man’s body at a house in Drogheda on Tuesday.
The man was aged in his 30s.
Officers said the local coroner has been notified and a post-mortem examination will be arranged.
The outcome of the post-mortem examination will determine the course of the investigation, gardai said.
It is understood from early indications that it is a personal tragedy.
Last week, gardai searched two homes in Drogheda, which involved a forensic and intrusive examination of one of the properties.
Gardai said the aim of the search was to find evidence which may reveal where Kyran is or what happened to him.
A murder investigation was launched in October after the disappearance of eight-year-old Kyran, who was potentially missing for two years before authorities were alerted.
It is suspected that the boy, who was reported missing in August, might have died in 2022 when he was six.
Last week, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said they had been “inundated” with information from the public.
He added: “Certainly when we put out an appeal for information, right back on October 14, we were inundated with information from the public. We’re really pleased to see that because that provided us with a lot of leads, a lot of inquiries for us to follow through.
“As this investigation opens out, we’ll start to learn more about where we are, who the suspects are, and then what we need to do to prove what happened to young Kyran.”
Last Tuesday, a woman was arrested and questioned by gardai before being released without charge 24 hours later.
In late October, investigators searched a former family home in Dundalk and adjoining land.
Ireland’s Child and Family Agency Tusla submitted a report on its engagement with Kyran and his family to the Minister for Children last month.
Minister Roderic O’Gorman said he could not disclose or publish any details of the report as there is an ongoing Garda investigation into the presumed death of the boy.
Gardai are still appealing to anyone with information about Kyran, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the investigation team at Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or speak with any member of An Garda Siochana.
