Murder at the Cottage | Sky

25 years on, it's unlikely to prove police corruption and Harris will probably only involve himself if there is a good chance of success, - he'd have a motivation, pinning the success on himself. Otherwise, it's difficult, it's like trying to prove that a bent referee in a football match has been match rigging and that 25 years later.

The only possible breakthrough I could imagine is some new DNA evidence which wasn't investigated back then. It'll be the only conclusive proof of anything and even then, it's probably to say without doubt where the DNA was found like whether a particular piece of clothes belonged to Bailey or Alfie or somebody else, etc.... The rest is only some form of cold case profiling, like they did with the Jack the Ripper case in London.

Regarding the speculation whether her husband, Daniel Toscan du Plantier had hired a contract killer to kill his wife: I find the motivation for the murder very very high, as a lot of money for her husband was at stake, but also he would have had to hire somebody, had the the contacts, and also a substantial amount of money would have to have exchanged hands. I would largely presume her husband's financial ongoings and possible financial irregularities was well investigated by police, only grey area would probably have been some secret bank account in say Switzerland, or so.....

Also, if the cause of murder was only sexual rejection of one single Guard, the whole local police would certainly not have covered up for him and his sexual follies. The cover up served a larger group of Guards, not just one of them, putting drug trafficking and Sophie seeing and knowing something pretty high up in regarding what was likely and what not.

I don't think this case is in any way connected to the Kerry Babies. There is always a lot of talk and rumors in rural places. Back in 1997 the police even built on that, public opinion in that rural community was sort of split whether it was Bailey or somebody else. They just had to incriminate Bailey a bit more, and a majority believed it, that's just my suggestion.

Well, keeping everything equally valid would keep an open mind to all the options. And yes, it's all speculation.

The thing is your asking a question, but not wanting an answer.

Just to help you understand, there is no game or not "my game".

It's a murder with a lot of lose ends, a lot of motives and possibilities and an obviously incompetent police force.

"The guards I'm sure everyone will agree were guilty of gross incompetence at least" This is Bullshit of the highest order. It never happens. It is the lazy excuse wheeled out every time something unseemly happens in any area of public service. The modern phrase is 'systemic failure'. Is it really credible that people who are able to connive their way to the cushiest, financially rewarding state jobs are guilty of incompetence again and again?

This investigation has been highly competent because of the outcome, which is all that matters. If it looks like Keystone cops all the better, as the dumb public lap it up. It's a lesson to people in the UK who would plant evidence in order to get convictions. The fall guy, Bailey, is only convicted in the public eye with the Guards winking at us saying 'trust us, we know things we can't say' since we have an honest legal system unlike the dastardly Brits. Result! No trial, so no embarrassing revelations, yet we have our man. Beautiful!

Keeping us all safe is a dirty business occasionally and we can't handle the truth. But whether we can or not we won't be tested in this case.

"The Freedom of Information Act was passed on April 21, 1997, and came into effect a

year to the day later, on April 21, 1998. That Act was considered ‘ground breaking

legislation’ because one of its primary aims was to change the culture of secrecy that

had existed in Ireland, and to empower citizens..."

We learned in Bailey's high court case that the statute of limitations meant that 1996 might as well have been 1796.

Something was going on in Dunmanus in 1996 and it was all covered by the Official Secrets Act. All you have to do is figure it out...

By the sounds of it you have a problem with me, so I'd rather you'd send me a personal message, not bore others with your kind of talk, and certainly not if it doesn't concern the case. I also don't recall using "conspiracy" in my posts.

What I am certainly not aware of is if this is or was an isolated case of police corruption or if there were more. I also had little experience with the Guards back in the 90ies, but the kind of experience I've had with them back then, wasn't exactly that they were very comptent and many appeared to me as if becoming a Guard was because they had no other career options, were physically fit and needed a solid income. Sorry, if that's offensive, but that's how I recall the situation back then. I also recall the saying "If you want help you call the Guards, if you don't want help you call the Guards" The issues you're describing probably fits the situation best.

I'd say that Sophie was probably not knowledgeable on the lack of competence of the Guards, and trusted them, probably she thought they were as good as in Paris, - and she was very wrong.

I bet one thing, than none of the bent Guards in the investigation of Sophie ever gotten disciplined, or fired from the job. Coercing somebody to lie in a court of law or supplying somebody with drugs should have triggered a full blown investigation in any civilized police force.

The point is that the lady got killed the night the only state pathologist was on his birthday night out. Its almost too perfect.

No disrespect to Guards ... I know a few .. but back in the 'Day' his/her father/uncle was a guard , Im over 5'9... so I'll be a Guard... nine yes Nine months later ..hey presto they give you the cap.

If you are lucky enough to get into an urban center you might get to appreciate a bit of anti-social and organised/personal crime..

If you stay out in the sticks its doley doggers , drink driving , gun licences and saturday night pubs ETC. ...

West cork was the sticks.. The local/ regional guards were not nearly ready for anything like what happened. Rather than good interviewing , intelligence gathering, diligence and good police work they focused their efforts on rumors, diversions fear and confusion ... panic... incompetence.

To back up or cover up for colleagues above or below in matters of scams, informants, 'adultery/sheep rustling' is one thing but murder is a whole other ballgame, ball park , galaxy..... and pure fantasy to me..

How many other state backed/ sponsored murders happened along the Irish coast that month, year, decade or even since?

I wasn't aware of all the issues with the Garda in Ireland.

I am just thinking, suppose if I was like Sophie, owned a house for a vacation in rural SW Cork, and called the Guards if I'd seen repeated activity of drug trafficking in the area. And then if I'd only been given lame excuses and no further action by the Guards, what would I have done next?

If the local Guards were in it as well, it would ultimately have been my own life which would have been at stake. They would have to have gotten rid of me no matter if I lived there permanently or not.....

Apparently, there was a diary, which was missing. Not certain, if it's ever been located.

I'd guess that Sophie was totally oblivious to the possibility of police incompetence in Ireland, thus nothing of that sort you mentioned was kept. And if so, it would have most likely have been in France in her home. Don't know if somebody ever looked for something like that in Sophie's home in France?

But it's a good point and would be a good line of enquiry.

For a person in that business it is a bit strange all the things yoiu mention are a little odd. Nothing, Nada. perhaps she had notes or a diary that was stolen seems very possible.

Dear Diary,

I have noticed some late night traffic through my property, a car sometimes a 4 wheel drive heads up and seems to be collecting/delivering something. I must watch out tonight and take the regs. in case it is needed.

Mee too.

Another one of my brain spasms... (They occur at random)..

Are we to believe that Sophie took off running for her life?

Did she cut down thru the meadow towards the new gate? Of did she follow the path around and down towards the entrance gate?

I can't fathom for the life of me, why she didn't head directly to Alfie Lyons & Shirley Fosters house????

Unless the threat was coming from that direction?

The block used to batter her with, appears to have been taken from the pump house further up along the laneway in the opposite direction of the entrance gate?

Nah.... Too many quirks in that story.

Why would she run away from her home and place of safety, that makes no sense??? Once she knew she was in grave danger, why did she not double back to Alfie's house???? In a state of sheer panic, would you not put your fist through Alfie's window to rouse him from his slumber, and maybe scare off the attacker??

Instead she ran in the opposite direction, on a cold, bleak, winters night?

Was the attack instigated around the pump house? Why did they meet at that particular point? Was the conversation cordial up to that point?

If the attack happened around the pump house, why did Sophie run towards the gate and not the sanctuary of the residential properties in front of her?? Did the killer carry the block down towards the gate with him?

To me, logically thinking, she was running away from her house and neighbors...

And that theory only brings on another brain spasm........

There are so many unanswered questions in this case.

Suppose, it wasn't one killer but two or more? One lured her to open the door, then hit her with that poke and the other one with the cavity block after she'd been chased to the gate. Also this could have been possible.

The blood stain on the door and the blood on the gates would indicate that she was hit twice. Also if the killer returned to the house to clean up, he'd hardly missed that stain on the door.

Myself I tend to rather focus on the motive and on the known events that happened thereafter to consider what may have happened.

Most likely this murder case will remain a mystery.

Myself and anybody can be totally wrong on this, but most people, I have known who owned holiday homes in a foreign country kept all the records about the ownership, deeds, contracts and ongoing communication with management companies, etc.. at their main residence. In Sophie's case this would have been at her home in France.

After her death these records would have fallen into the hands of her husband, and upon his death, into the hands of her son. Judging by the way her son behaved and felt ( he even kept Sophie's coat hanging in the same place, at least according to the documentary ) he would also have kept any records on the house, - certainly the important ones, deeds, solicitor's letters, etc... but most likely also the non important notes.

If there was a diary and if that diary was missing, I'd say only her son would be able to confirm that.

Other than Sophie's son, I'd say only the caretaker may have some insight, - don't know if the caretaker from back in 1997 is still alive today.

Here's what I think;

I don't believe she did,

I believe she went down to the gate of her own free will either through the lawn from her front door

or the path from the back door.

Maybe she did not foresee any danger at that stage as she knew the person or persons at her gate.

The pump house was just across the lane and slightly up-hill about 7 or 8 mtrs away.

She was more than likely disabled if not already dead when the killer went looking for the block .

I believe it started with something like " What do you think you're doing on my property?"

It escalated and Sophie never got a chance to flee anywhere.

The pump house;

As an aside last night's "The case I can't forget" about the murder of Rachel Callally by Joe O'Reilly

bore some striking similarities to Sophie's murder.

It was a brutal over the top bludgeoning .

This is what Detective Pat Marry said;

The brutality of the murder,

The admission that he would kill her,

The compromising of the murder scene by getting up close to her dead body and hugging her.

While Rachel's murder was planned, I don't believe Sophie's was