Gardaí investigating the murder of Jamey Carney have sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), in which they recommend that Ahmed Al-Saqar be charged with the murder of his American girlfriend, the Kerry's Eye newspaper reported on Thursday.
It could take several weeks or months for the DPP to determine if there is enough evidence to prosecute Al-Saqar, who flew to Turkey the day Carney was killed and then on to his native Jordan.
According to Cork Beo, if the DPP does decide to prosecute, Irish authorities will then have to persuade Jordan to send Al-Saqar back to Ireland. The two countries do not have an extradition treaty, but can agree to extraditions on a case-by-case basis.
Investigation into the murder of Jamey Carney
Jamey Carney, a 43-year-old native of Westchester, New York who moved to Ireland with her daughter in 2021, was pronounced dead at a domestic residence in the Muckross Road area of Killarney on Tuesday, July 7.
Gardaí confirmed the following day that the investigation had been upgraded to a murder investigation. They added that post-mortem examination on the remains of the deceased had been completed, but the results were not being released "for operational reasons."
The next day, An Garda Síochána announced that it is "satisfied" that a person of interest left the jurisdiction in the early hours of Tuesday, July 7, "prior to the body of the deceased female being discovered and reported to An Garda Síochána."
An Garda Síochána said that as part of the investigation, it was engaging with international Law Enforcement partners.
While Gardaí have not publicly named the person of interest, it is understood to be Carney's partner Ahmad Al-Saqar. The 28-year-old Jordanian national came to Ireland two years ago seeking asylum, according to the Irish Mirror. His public TikTok account features videos of him and Carney, including one in which he refers to her as his "bride." He also features in posts on Carney's social media pages.
In the hours before Carney's body was discovered, the suspect is believed to have taken an express bus from Killarney to Dublin Airport, where he then boarded a flight to Turkey.
Extra.ie reported that the suspect used his own passport for travel, adding that all applicants for international protection must surrender their passports to the International Protection Office at the time of making their application.
"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," Extra.ie reported.
Extra.ie added: "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. Gardaí fear that he is making his way to his home nation, which does not have an extradition treaty with Ireland."
On July 15, Jordan's Ministries of Interior and Justice confirmed that Jordanian authorities had received a report from Irish authorities concerning the murder of an American woman in Ireland.
"Initial investigations indicate that a Jordanian citizen is suspected of committing the crime," the Ministries said, without naming Al-Saqar.
The Ministries said that following a search, the suspect was arrested, his statement was taken according to standard procedures, and he was then referred to the Public Prosecutor of the Major Criminal Court, who initiated the investigation and ordered his detention for 15 days at the Correctional and Rehabilitation Center to continue the investigation.
Cork Beo reported on Thursday that Gardaí from Co Kerry have since travelled to Jordan to liaise with cops there, but did not question Al-Saqar as they have no power to.
Jordanian police later confirmed Al-Saqar was arrested as part of the country's own investigation into Carney's murder - something they can do as he is from there. It is also possible they can prosecute him in Jordan, but sources told Cork Beo that Irish authorities will want him brought back here for trial if the DPP rules he is to be charged.
At a funeral mass in Killarney on July 15, Carney was remembered warmly as a "ray of sunshine." Meanwhile, two GoFundMe pages in Carney's memory have together raised more than $34k.
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