Old thread seems to be permanently locked. It will be interesting if anything can come of this at last.
Threadbanned Posters:
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if ‘key holders’ and their family members used the house as a home from home-if you know what I mean. I know from personal experience this happens.
That would have to be the Hellens then?
Ive never seen a list of who had keys but after the lock change I assume the Lyons wouldnt have been given the a new key.
Thanks,
IF, and it's a big if, Sophie had wine with bread and cheese on Sunday at 9 pm, for instance, what would be the earliest time of death for it to not show in her system do you think? I realise the attack and the time of death may differ.
Thank you.
If there was a party, I guess screams or shouting wouldn't be heard above the music/talk?
Agree. We have friends who own an apartment in Spain that were managed by a married couple whom also managed other apartments in the area ie getting the apartment ready re cleaning, beds made up etc for the dates that had been booked in by the owners. Our friends became suspicious that others apart from their families/friends were using the apartment. To cut a long story short, the managers were renting out apartments when not in use by the owners to others for financial gain.
As mentioned by others Sophie seemed to be uneasy about coming over on her own. Unusual for a strong minded person to a remote get away from it all bolthole for a day or two. She must have expected some friction I believe..
And arent there reports Sophie arrived at the Ungerers the day of the murder in an agitated state... sounds like she was in an apprehensive state to be spooked by the so called Lady of the Lake. Doesnt seem like her usual self or how she was described by Daniel.
"She arrived at the Ungerers' house really scared, saying, 'Oh my God, I saw a woman, like a white shape.'"
https://www.newsweek.com/sophie-murder-west-cork-three-castle-head-white-lady-ireland-netflix-true-crime-ghost-1605895
Friction over what do you think? And who might have made her aware of whatever it was? There wasn't many locals communicating with Sophie in France.
Was her open return ticket in case she wasn't able to sort it out until the opportunity presented itself?
I imagine that the only one in regular communication with Sophie would have been Mrs Hellen, the caretaker.
Probably nobody knew more than she did, about Sophie's movements and plans, plus background knowledge of local issues.
As well as arranging for the house to be opened up, heated, maintained, probably a bit of food in the fridge etc, Mrs Hellen kept her informed about the court case involving Alfie Lyons' illegal weed operation. And may have reported on any other incidents relevant to the house, such as the use of the shed by others, etc. Plus possibly any phone calls to the landline or letters delivered. (My guess)
Find the friction and you may have the motive?
".....or....what was the view from her bedroom window? Could she see across the back field to the laneway gate?"
This is the view from the window of the main bedroom, where Sophie would usually sleep. It's a scene of crime photo, probably taken on Mon night and you can see a red car through the window which would have been parked down by the gate. That's how anything going on down by the gate was clearly visible from the upstairs windows. OK, she was sleeping in the guest room that night, but the view would have been more or less the same. The front facing Kitchen window and the two sitting room windows offered the same view.
Having the shed beside her and not on her land must have been one major source of friction. People coming and going all hours..
Noted but nothing seized.
No axe head?
Well yes and no. Some people, but not too many. Only one other house regularly occupied nearby, Mr Lyons and his partner.
Anyone that Alfie allowed to use the shed - possibly Leo Bolger and Finbar Hellen. Or social visitors to the Lyons', I suppose.
Anyone else turning up must have been highly unlikely. As was pointed out, rather eerily by Ian Bailey himself, the location is SO remote that a random traveller would never just stumble across it; you'd have to know it was there.
I've looked at the location on Google maps etc and he was quite right, about that at least. You have to take an obscure turn-off from a minor road, and then drive almost half a mile along a grassy boreen, just to reach that little group of houses; and then a gate across the lane, shutting it off.
Whoever went there that night or early morning back in 1996 knew where they were going. It was not some drunken hobo who just wandered by.
You have to wonder if that shed was exhaustively searched, fingerprinted, and swabbed for drugs etc.
I thought that was noted by a neighbour, they found it in the remnants of the bonfire on their property - not in the bonfire at Jules / Baileys.
With a spoon he had in his pocket as part of his forensics kit.
Thanks.
And contains no mention of coat buttons or buttons at all. Only specific mention is footwear eyelets.
You're right..
Swabbed, probably not..
Every house and shed in that lane should have been fingerprinted and swabbed..
Didn't mattresses used to have metal eyelets? Maybe some still do.
Axe head was in the neighbour's fire.
You got it.
What we need is Sophie’s phone records in France from early December to see who told her about any new “arrangements” back in Dreenane.
Have we any idea if this was actually the missing hatchet from Mme. du Plantier's house? Or was it some huge axe for splitting logs?
If the former, surely some questions MUST have been asked!!
Would these have ever been looked for and if yes were they kept?
This is interesting as mention per Alphies illegal weed operation. Would it be correct to say the AGS don't necessarily reference much of Alphies character or reference to this illegal operating throughout the case of the murder. In fact they only mention Alphie as neighbour frail etc etc.
How big or what scale would he be operating at? Furthermore it's most likely he would not be storing any such in his own house .it would make out houses as prime storage areas at certain times.
Now if Mrs Hellen was keeping her informed and Sophie becoming more inquisitive of such behaviour it would certainly lead to friction..if he was holding more potent level drugs on occasions in shed and more unsavoury characters tasked with collection. Again it's all means nothing without proof .
But I mean was it said Alphie owned or ran restaurant..and surely would have had sufficient income from such business...or maybe was loosing money..so needed other income. Anyone threating to stop such avenues..can certainly lead to issues.
Would it sound realistic Alphie had a Christmas stash ready to be collected by someone and whilst Sophie apprehensive about getting jobs done around house etc etc but noticed more goings on at shed...
John Hellen reported a small kindling axe missing from the rear kitchen, which would be odd as Sophie kept her firewood and kindling in the front porch I believe.
Not sure where I read it, most likely on this thread but it would appear Alfies weed operation was small scale. A dozen plants or so. Which could be argued was for personal consumption. I'm not aware of any major consequences of the raid/seizure of these plants so I can only assume it was deemed a minor offence by the authorities and perhaps merely warranted a 'slap on the wrist'.
However, an associate of Alfies would later go on to be charged with quite an elaborate growhouse operation many years later.. sometime around 2010~2014.. with obvious intent to supply. Such was the scale of the operation.
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