The Gardai revealed the information at a press briefing in Leixlip this evening.
Gardai have identified 33-year old Kenneth O’Brien as the man whose body was found in a suitcase in the Grand Canal in Kildare on Saturday night.
O’Brien’s torso was discovered in a suitcase in Ardclough in Kildare on Saturday night after he was reported missing last week; he was identified through DNA analysis after a sample was provided to the Gardai by his family.
According to the Irish Times, O’Brien, from Clondalkin in west Dublin, was described as “a normal family man” who was “brutally murdered,” with detectives suggesting that his body may have been dismembered with the use of machinery or power tools.
At this evening’s press briefing, Superintendent Gerry Wall from Leixlip Garda station said there was currently “no indication” as to why Mr O’Brien was killed.
“It is a particularly gruesome crime and the brutality of it cannot be overstated in respect of how a human being has been treated,” Wall said.
“It focuses us and the intensity of the investigation to find the perpetrator of the crime and bring them to justice.”
Wall added that there was “no evidence” to suggest Mr O’Brien feared for his life, saying that “this was a very normal man going about his business, pursuing his employment, trying to get some work, and he has been brutally murdered”.
Gardai are appealing to the public for help with the investigation, with Superintendent Wall urging anyone with information to contact Leixlip Garda Station on 01 666 7800.
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