121- For Reasons Unknown: The murder of Kenneth O'Brien

In January of 2016, people started to find body parts wrapped in shopping bags on a stretch of the Grand Canal in Co. Kildare. To gardai, this looked like a gangland hit. But when the remains were identified as 33 year old Kenneth O'Brien, it was quickly determined that he was not known to be involved in anything illegal. Why was Kenneth O'Brien killed? This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin. ******** Find us on Facebook or Twitter! With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! Donate today to get access to bonus and ad-free episodes! Check out the Mens Rea Merch Store! ********* Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Additional Music: Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ******** Music: Kevin McLeod, Quinns Song : The Dance Begins. (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ********* Sources: Deirdre Reynolds, “Mystery grows over canal suitcase body as gardai reveal body on recently placed in water”, Irish Independent, (January 17th 2016) Conor Lally, “Head and hands cut from torso found in Co Kildare”, The Irish Times, (January 18th 2016) “Butchered by violent gang”, The Herald (January 18th 2016) Tom Brady, “Dismembered body in canal is man in 20s”, Irish Independent (January 18th 2016) Cormac O’Keefe, “Garda appeal in bid to find murder scene”, Irish Examiner (January 19th 2016) “Headless victim in suitcase ‘may have been killed at party’, Irish Independent (January 19th 2016) “Kenneth’s family ‘in shock’ at murder after his body is taken from suitcase in canal”, The Herald, (January 20th2016) “Gardai believe ‘body in bag’ victim killed over grudge”, Irish Independent, (January 20th 2016) “Gardai appeal to public about ‘suitcase’ death”, The Echo, (January 21st 2016) Ken Foy, “Text probe in canal murder”, The Herald, (January 21st 2016) Ken Foy, “Last 24 hours of body in suitcase victim still a mystery to gardai”, The Herald, (January 22nd 2016) “Criminal linked to dad’s killing”, The Herald, (January 22nd 2016) Ken Foy, “Grisly canal murder is now considered gang hit as gardai investigate missing cash link”, The Herald, (January 23rd 2016) Caroline O’Doherty, “Canal murder hunt continues today”, Irish Examiner, (January 25th 2016) “Gardai find body parts in suitcase murder probe”, The Herald, (January 25th 2016) “Suitcase victim ‘killed in row over funding of drug-dealing network’”, The Herald, (January 25th 2016) “Tools found in hunt for Kenneth’s body parts”, The Herald, (January 26th 2016) Lynda Doyle, “Body parts found in canal at Sallins”, The Kildare Nationalist, (January 26th 2016) Ken Foy, “Butchered dad shot once in head before body was cut up”, The Herald, (January 27th 2016) Ken Foy, “Canal murder case gardai may go to Australia in hunt for more clues”, The Herald, (January 28th2016) Tom Brady, “Mystery of body in suitcase sends gardai to ends of the earth”, Irish Independent, (January 30th2016) Conor Feehan, “Funeral of butchered body-in-bag to be held on Wednesday”, The Herald, (February 1st2016) Martin Grant, “Father’s sad farewell as ‘handsome, loving’ Kenneth is laid to rest”, The Herald, (February 4th2016) “Burial of murdered man takes place amid deep sorrow”, The Echo, (February 4th 2016) Laura Larkin, “Search for gun as gardai quiz two men in canal body probe”, The Herald, (February 8th 2016) Tom Tuite, “Man charged in court with murder of Kenneth O’Brien”, The Irish Times, (February 12th 2016) Tom Tuite, “Judge asks DPP to make progress in Kenneth O’Brien case”, The Irish Times, (May 25th 2016) For a full list of sources, please visit mensreapod.com