Gardaí believe the main suspect in the murder of a young Irish woman 21 years ago is still alive, despite faking his own death. 

On 8th April 2008, the body of 23 year old Emer O’Loughlin was found close to the mobile home she shared with her boyfriend at Ballybornagh, Tubber in County Clare. 

The mobile home had been completely destroyed by a fire and an autopsy later revealed that Ms O’Loughlin had died a violent death. 

However, decades on since Ms O’Loughlin’s tragic death, no one served a day in jail for her murder and Gardaí are looking for public assistance with the case. 

On Newstalk Daily, Clare Echo Head of News Pádraig McMahon described Ms O’Loughlin as an “ordinary Irish girl with an arty streak”. 

The O’Loughlin family are desperate for answers and Gardaí are keen to talk to the owner of the mobile home, John 'Fozzy' Griffin, also known as Fozzy Griffin. 

“John ‘Fozzy’ Griffin was never formally questioned and wasn't brought under caution to be questioned from what we can gather,” Mr McMahon explained. 

“He was asked a few questions at the door of a relative's house and he was given an alibi but that alibi later emerged to be false. 

“The O'Loughlin family would have always felt that the Gardaí were very cautious in their approach to John Fozzy Griffin.” 

Emer O’Loughlin. Picture by: An Garda Síochána.

After Ms O’Loughlin’s death, Mr Griffin was treated at a psychiatric facility in Galway but he checked himself out. 

His last known location was on Inis Mór, the largest of the three Aran Islands. 

“He managed to apparently attempt to fake his own death on the Aran Islands back in 2005 and has been missing ever since,” Mr McMahon added. 

“So, it was really a series of bizarre events that have allowed John Fossey Griffin, now the prime suspect in the case, to disappear and vanish off the face of the earth.”

Since then, there have been intensive Garda searches for Mr Griffin, all of which have failed to locate him. 

“Gardaí are always of the belief that Mr Griffin is still alive,” Mr McMahon said. 

“While they're anxious to trace him, they’re of the belief that he has been assisted in leaving Inismore by another person and that the clothes were just deliberately placed on the cliff edge as an effort to frustrate the Gardaí investigation.” 

Gardaí have asked anyone with any information about Ms O’Loughlin’s death to contact them.

Main image: Emer O’Loughlin. Picture by: An Garda Síochána.