Gardaí carry out house to house inquiries in Bailieboro murder case

Garda investigations into the fatal shooting of a former garda during the early hours of Friday morning last are "ongoing", according to the officer who is heading up the inquiry. The body of John Kerins was discovered in his home at Cornaveagh on the Bailieboro to Cootehill Road, close to Canningstown, at around 11am on Friday. The house remains sealed off. It is understood that the married father of three was shot twice in the upper body. His wife is living in Bailieboro with relatives. Superintendent Gerry O'Brien told The Anglo-Celt today: "We are currently carrying out house to house interviews in the locality, while we are also studying CCTV footage." He is appealing for witnesses who may have been in the Canningstown area between 5pm on Thursday evening and 9am on Friday to coming forward if they saw anyone acting suspiciously or any strange vehicle in the vicinity. There was no sign of a struggle and 48-year-old Mr Kerins was found in a chair. "It was possible that the victim knew his killer or killers," Supt. O'Brien said. None of the local residents heard the fatal shots, which would indicate that the killing was carried out in the middle of the night. According to the superintendent, Mr. Kerins had an arrangement to bring his neighbour's children to school every morning at 8am and on Friday last he failed to turn up. "A concerned neighbour went back to his house at 11am to see why he didn't turn up." The front door was unlocked, the neighbour went in and located the victim in a chair. He then contacted the Gardai. A post-mortem was carried out on Mr Kerins by Dr Michael Curtis, deputy state pathologist, in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, on Saturday afternoon. "We have gardai from all over the Cavan/Monaghan Division as well as members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation involved in the investigation," Supt O'Brien stated. He added that the investigation into the disappearance of local man and friend of Mr Kerins, Gerry Daly, over 18 months ago was still ongoing.