Sophie: A Murder in West Cork - Netflix.

"he knows how to say enough to raise suspicion but not enough to be evidence"

Indeed. It`s kinda like pulling those sleeves up to let people see you have scratches. "Did you hear about the murder up the road? Have you seen my hands and arms? Whatdya think? Could it be me?"

As far as I know Jules was driving Ian home from the pub that night. However it doesn't matter who drove whom and how much one or the other had to drink that night. A conviction for driving intoxicated and a conviction for murder is something different, as we all know. And driving under influence was sadly a normal occurrence, back then, especially in rural Ireland.

Regarding a murder conviction which isn't overturned it's very very hard, if there is absolutely no credible evidence about anything.

Making a pass at another woman or somebody's wife, a cheating husband, loitering outside of a shop or in a dark alleyway, a writer with a drinking problem, somebody beating up his partner, somebody taking a walk at night, somebody seeing somebody far away from the murder site, a neighbor not liking another neighbor, a husband wanting to avoid a costly divorce, one or a couple of ex-lovers, a bent Guard, an incompetent Guard, a possible drug connection all doesn't prove murder in terms of one person getting convicted beyond reasonable doubt.

As it currently stands, the case is to me unsolvable. The Guards recently or not so recently by now went to Paris to interview one man, but so far no results have been announced, no new evidence was presented.

It's nice theories and romantic stories on things that might have happened or are more likely to have happened or less likely to have happened during that fateful winter night in rural Ireland, - a couple of film producers or book authors trying to muscle in on the story to make an extra buck.

What I most likely would guess, is a possible death bed confession by one of the last people alive to date. I am considering this as likely as all the remaining individuals have aged by now and a break through in new DNA evidence is less and less likely.

There are only a couple of things that stand out on this murder case:

• The length the Guards went in order to coerce, collude and cover up, together with general incompetence, losing evidence as big as a gate, would lead to suggest that by their behavior it was quite possibly one of them. My thoughts would be on a lower rank Guard, at least a sergeant, who had influence, was able to direct others or manipulate evidence in his favor.
• The lack of knowledge of motive still exists to date: Bailey is always associated with sexual rejection and subsequent murder, but that is highly speculative as he's never been known for cheating or making a pass at women or chasing other women in the area. The by now deceased ex-husband wanting to avoid a costly divorce has to date by far the highest financial motive regardless on how he possibly concealed the money trail and hiring the hitman. The drug story and drug trafficking is also plausible, but the financial extent of the drug-theory is not known, possibly it would have been as simple as avoiding a jail sentence (Leo Bolger as a repeat offender) and Sophie pointing the finger at somebody in these circles. However, nobody on the peninsula seemed to live a live of extraordinary luxury, no fancy cars, sudden property purchases or exotic vacations that stood out.
• And then there is the story of Sophie's closest neighbor, Alfie and Shirley not hearing a sound at all, that is if the murder was a loud one. Were they in on it, were they coerced to do it by some drug trafficking in the area? Did the Guards or bent Guards go easy on them? We don't know but the circumstance sure are odd ones.

I always thought Jules was driving I’ll be honest.

Not so sure. A lot of these burgalries are random - guys from outside area drive around looking for properties. No planning, staking out etc etc.

The rest is easily explained - Sophie went down to the gate when she saw axcar/people. Murder happened BEFORE a chance to do burgalry.

I'd be inclined to think that after such an incident, they'd scarper and get away asap - possibly in paniv. Wouldnt hang around to do the robbery or try to conceal anything.

Way, way more likely and plausible to some of the theories in circulation e.g.

- drunk guy walks several miles.

- Garda having an affair.

- international hitman.

- drug cartels.

Still leaves the question - why was randon attempted burgalry ruled out and how?

I am not a Guard nor do I have the insight, thus I can only speculate about your question:

I'd say it's very rare from a criminal point of view that a random burglar as you would describe it, only tries to rob one single house doesn't take anything, and never attempts robbery again.

Also, remember the interior of Sophie's house looks neatly arranged, too neatly for some. I'd suggest a robbery would have looked differently. A different discussion would have been if several houses have been burgled around the night of Sophie's murder and Sophie's house would have been ransacked.

In this case, I'd say the police (if they were competent) would have investigated into the direction of Sophie interrupting a burglar and getting murdered in the process.

We don't know how it was ruled out? Maybe incompetency? The endless focus on Bailey?

Oddly, the Guards were not even capable of ever establishing a motive on Bailey.

They always assumed Bailey's motive was to have sex with Sophie and she rejected him. One can believe this motive, and one can't. None can prove this, but nobody can prove otherwise. And yet, according to the Guards, Bailey's motive is always sexual. One only asks why?

Who`s obsessing now?

Ehhh, are you actually feeling okay Jim?

You shouldn’t fly off the handle so easy, that kind of attitude will only end up getting you in trouble.

(Even if it does illustrate your active imagination and high self opinion to a tee.)

Seems like only yesterday he was giving his cool expert analysis on what he thinks happened 25 years ago.

Oh yeah, it was.

Hmmmm, interesting.