Fourteen hours separated the estimated time of Jamey Carney's death in Killarney, County Kerry and the moment her 13-year-old daughter found her body on Tuesday afternoon. In that window, the man Irish police describe as a "person of interest" had already traveled 200 miles by bus to Dublin Airport and boarded a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. He had been living in Ireland on a refused asylum claim under active appeal, Irish media reported, and retained his passport throughout.
Asylum status at time of killing
The man, a Jordanian national, arrived in Ireland in 2024 and was living in a state-run migrant shelter in Killarney, the Irish Mirror reported. His asylum application had been refused, but he was permitted to remain in the country while that decision was under appeal. The Irish Mirror reported he still had his passport despite his refused status. According to the outlet, he first arrived in the United Kingdom before traveling through Northern Ireland and eventually settling in County Kerry. Social media posts attributed to him show activity in both the United Kingdom and Turkey in recent years. Irish police have declined to name him publicly, and both the Garda and Ireland's Department of Justice declined to confirm to Fox News Digital reports of a refused application and an active appeal.
The 14-hour gap
Irish detectives place Carney's death at around 11 p.m. Monday. Her body was discovered at approximately 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Police issued alerts to airports, ports, train stations, and bus stations within just over an hour of that discovery, The Irish Independent reported. The suspect was already gone.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| ~11 p.m. Mon. | Carney dies (est. by detectives) |
| Before 1:30 p.m. Tue. | Suspect departs Dublin on Istanbul flight |
| ~1:30 p.m. Tue. | 13-year-old daughter finds body |
| Within ~1 hr of discovery | Police issue travel-hub alerts |
A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital the search is expected to be difficult given the suspect's head start. The manhunt entered its sixth day with Irish police working alongside international law enforcement partners. Investigators now fear the suspect may have traveled onward to Jordan, which holds no extradition treaty with Ireland.
Carney and the fallout
Carney, 43, was a New York native who moved to Ireland in 2021 and described herself on social media as a "New Yorker in Ireland." Irish media reported she and the suspect had become romantically involved; she identified him as her partner and described their relationship as a "mixed couple." She had family in the Killarney area. The U.S. State Department confirmed it is providing consular assistance to her family. Six days into the manhunt, Irish police have not publicly named the suspect or confirmed his immigration status, drawing criticism on both sides of the Atlantic. The case is expected to intensify scrutiny of Ireland's asylum system and why a person whose claim had been refused, still holding an active appeal, was able to retain his passport and depart the country before investigators knew of his connection to the killing.