A murder probe has officially been launched into the violent stabbing that led to the death of a woman in Limerick.
The victim, who was aged in her 20s and from Romania, was found stabbed to death in one of a 12 apartments at Riverdock House, Dock Road, in Limerick City on Tuesday afternoon.
A garda spokesperson said: "Gardaí are continuing to investigate the fatal assault of a woman that occurred at 1.30pm, at a residential property."
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State Pathologist, Dr Linda Mulligan completed a post-mortem this Wednesday afternoon, the results of which are not being disclosed for "operational reasons."
Gardaí confirmed that an incident room has been established at Henry Street Garda Station and a murder investigation has commenced under the direction of a Senior Investigating Officer.
A Family Liaison Officer has been appointed and will keep the family informed of the investigation.
"The Garda Technical Bureau is continuing with their examination of the scene," a spokesperson said.
Gardaí are appealing to any person who has information that can assist with this investigation to contact them.
They are appealing to anyone who has camera footage from the Dock Road and O’Curry Street areas of Limerick City from 1:00pm – 2:00pm to contact them.
"Anyone with any information is asked to contact Henry Street Garda Station on 061 212 400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station," a spokesperson added.
Earlier, a businessman who raised the alarm which led gardai and paramedics to the body of a young woman who was stabbed to death in Limerick said, Wednesday, he is praying for the victim and her family.
Derrick Amrein, owner of Chizel & Oak, O’Curry Street, Limerick City, said he alerted emergency services after he was asked for help by two people who ran from the building where the body was discovered, Tuesday.
The victim, in her 20s and from Romania, was found stabbed to death in one of a dozen apartments at Riverdock House, Dock Road, around 1.30pm.
Mr Amrein said: “About 1pm yesterday a man and a woman in pyjamas approached and asked to ring the emergency services and said there was a stabbing in their apartment block just around the corner.”
“I rang Henry Street and said they needed to send ambulances as we had been informed a lady was ‘bleeding out’ in the apartment.”
“The gardai and the ambulances came very quickly, so the emergency services were superb at the speed they came, they cordoned off the area and took over and then I heard later on that (the woman) passed away.”
“It’s a very tight-knit old community and we are all in shock, we are frazzled by the whole thing and everyone is expressing their anguish at what happened.
“It’ll take time for the community to recover. The gardai have been here all morning searching bins and all the (garda) forensics have been here working right throughout the night, they are doing a great job.”
Mr Amrein said he was praying the victim’s body “gets back to whatever country she is from” so her family can lay her to rest.
“It is very sad for the parents, any father or mother loosing a shield at any age is horrendous, so all our thoughts are with them.”
Gardai investigating Tuesday’s fatal stabbing conducted sweeping searches of the Dock Road and O’Curry Street area in the hunt for the weapon used in the fatal attack.
Search teams combed through drains, surveyed rooftops, yards and gardens, in the hope of finding evidence which may lead them to the killer.
Gardai were also studying CCTV footage from nearby shops, flats and commercial businesses, to try to trace the movements of a man seen sporting a makeshift bandage on one of his hands around the time of the killing.
The man was seen entering a local shop washing his hands and leaving Tuesday. Garda sources said they were anxious to speak to this individual as part of their ongoing enquiries.
Gardai were awaiting the outcome of a post mortem being conducted on the woman’s body before deciding if they were going to upgrade their investigation from “fatal assault” to murder.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Henry Street Garda Station on 061-212400.
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