US mother, 43, is bludgeoned to death in her Irish home 'by asylum seeker partner, 28, she met at pro-Palestine march' as suspect flees country

By IMOGEN GARFINKEL - SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER and GARETH MACNAMEE Published: 09:51, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 09:59, 10 July 2026 A US mother has been found bludgeoned to death in her Irish home with her asylum seeker partner suspected of carrying out the killing then fleeing the country. The body of Jamey Carney, 43, was found on Tuesday afternoon by her 13-year-old daughter at her rented home in Killarney, where she had moved five years ago from Westchester County, New York state. Police are investigating the theory that a 28-year-old migrant, who she met at a pro-Palestine march, flew into a jealous rage over another man she had been speaking with on her phone and beat her to death. It is understood that the two met 18 months ago at an anti-war protest.  Although her body was found at around 1.30pm, investigators believe Ms Carney was killed late on Monday night or into the early hours of Tuesday - and lay dead in her bed for up to 13 hours, according to the Irish Mirror. Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect and issued alerts at ports and airports, amid concerns he may have fled the country before the body was even found.  The suspect, who is from Jordan and had sought asylum in Ireland, is thought to have killed Ms Carney and immediately booked himself the earliest possible flight to Istanbul in Turkey, which was at 10.50am on Tuesday morning. Police believe he is now en route to his home country, which does not have an extradition treaty with Ireland, and fear he may escape justice as a result. The suspect in the murder of a US mother who was bludgeoned to death in her Irish home is an asylum seeker she met at a pro-Palestine march The body of Jamey Carney, 43, was found on Tuesday afternoon by her 13-year-old daughter at her rented home in Killarney, where she had moved five years ago from Westchester County Although her body was found at around 1.30pm, investigators believe Ms Carney was beaten to death late on Monday night or into the early hours of Tuesday - and lay dead in her bed for up to 13 hours He took the 3am express bus from Killarney to Dublin Airport which took four hours, meaning he was in Dublin Airport between 7am and 10.50am. Gardaí are being assisted by Airport Police in harvesting CCTV footage of the man, who arrived in Ireland in 2024. The man used his own passport for travel.  All applicants for international protection must surrender their passports to the International Protection Office at the time of making their application. However, it is understood this man's passport had been returned to him as he had been granted subsidiary protection, which is a status given to asylum seekers who do not meet the strict legal definition of a refugee but who would face the risk of serious harm if they were sent back to their own country. Ireland has an embassy in Jordan and authorities here are understood to have already been in contact with it since Ms Carney was killed, a source told the Mail. The murder suspect chose Turkey as his first destination out of Ireland because his own national passport allows him visa-free travel to that country, officers believe.  The Mail reported yesterday that officers feared he had already left the jurisdiction. But in an unusual move, the Garda Press Office issued a statement which said they believed the man had left the jurisdiction. Security sources familiar with immigration laws explained how the chance of the 28-year-old man ever returning to Ireland to face charges is slim if he manages to get home. The source said: 'Gardaí are saying this man is a suspect but everyone knows there's only one man in the frame for this and it's him.  'His pictures are out on social media as well and it's only because of the laws here that the newspapers can't print his face, which is unfortunate. 'His chances of ever seeing the inside of an Irish courthouse are slim to none... There is no treaty with this man's native country and there is also no file yet to be sent to the DPP.' They added: 'That can change of course and the fact that it was a US citizen who was killed brings the Americans into the frame. They could put pressure on the man's government.' Ms Carney was beaten to death and suffered multiple head injuries, with police probing reports that a loud argument was heard the night before at her home on a luxury housing estate.  When her daughter discovered her, the room was covered in blood, and Ms Carney’s killer had allegedly pulled the bedclothes up over her torso and face, the Irish Independent reported. Interpol and Europol have also been contacted by gardaí after a request for cooperation was made by the nation's police force. Gardaí have continued to appeal for witnesses. Residents in Killarney are still reeling from the horrific death of Ms Carney, who left the Westchester area of New York in 2021 to work in the tourist town.  Ms Carney worked for RelateCare, a healthcare consulting company. Ms Carney's father, James, died in 2024. In his memorial, it said his parents James Carney, from Mayo, and Julia Healy, from Kerry, emigrated to New York and met at an Irish dance event there in 1952. Her body was removed from the house, located off the Muckross Road, on Wednesday morning and transferred to University Hospital Kerry, where an autopsy took place. Police have been in contact with her family in the US. They have been made aware of the murder and are scheduled to travel to Ireland this week. The death was described as 'an appalling tragedy' by local councillor Martin Grady, who was a personal friend of the mother-of-one. 'She was a loving, caring mother and was always happy and smiling,' he said.