Irish police are under mounting criticism for declining to publicly identify a person of interest in the murder of an American woman, as an international manhunt enters its fifth day. Jamey Carney, 43, a New York native who moved to Ireland in 2021, was found dead in her home in Killarney, County Kerry, on Tuesday after suffering head injuries and suffocation, according to The Irish Times. The suspect, described by authorities as a “person of interest,” had already traveled to Dublin Airport and boarded a flight to Turkey before Carney’s body was discovered, raising questions about the delay in releasing identifying information.
Former FBI Special Agent Nicole Parker criticized the decision, telling Fox News Digital that withholding the suspect’s name, photo, or description hampers the investigation. “How is the public supposed to help with locating the alleged suspect when Irish authorities won’t even release his name?” Parker said. “Time is of the essence. Every hour or day increases the chance the suspect disappears, destroys evidence or hurts others.” She noted that in similar cases in the United States, authorities would typically release identifying information immediately to enlist public assistance.
Irish police have not commented on the person’s age, name, or nationality, citing unspecified legal reasons. Reports from Irish broadcaster RTÉ and the outlet Gript.ie suggest that a 2015 immigration law protecting the identities of asylum seekers may be the basis for the nondisclosure. The law generally prohibits publishing the identities of asylum seekers to shield them from those they claim to be fleeing. Some Irish publications have identified the person of interest as a 28-year-old asylum seeker from Jordan who arrived in Ireland in 2024 amid an influx of migrants.
Independent Dublin City Councilor Gavin Pepper, a critic of mass immigration, slammed the decision as a public safety risk. “That man had a substantial head start,” Pepper told Fox News Digital. “At the end of the day, it shouldn’t matter what your skin color is. If you commit a heinous crime, your face should be all over every newspaper, every TV station. A manhunt is a manhunt.” He argued that earlier disclosure could have allowed law enforcement in the suspect’s destination country to intercept him.
Not all voices agree with emphasizing the suspect’s immigration status. Ruth Coppinger, a member of the Irish parliament with the People Before Profit party, criticized media reports identifying the man as an asylum seeker, accusing some outlets of “stoking the flames of racism,” according to Gript.ie. She argued in parliament that “the common denominator in violence against women is a man, not a nationality.” The case has reignited debates about immigration and public safety in Ireland, which has seen a rise in violence against women this year.
Carney’s body was discovered by her 13-year-old daughter in an upstairs bedroom just before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Irish police issued alerts to airports, ports, train stations, and bus stations within about an hour of the discovery, but the suspect had already left the country. The manhunt now involves Interpol, Europol, and Turkish authorities, as detectives fear the suspect may have traveled onward to Syria or Jordan. An Irish police source told Fox News Digital that locating the man will be difficult because he had already fled.
The killing comes as Ireland grapples with a broader pattern of violence against women. Gript.ie reported that eight women have died in violent circumstances in the country this year, matching the total for all of 2025. According to the outlet’s analysis, only one of the identified or sought suspects in those cases was an Irish national. The case has drawn international attention, with several news outlets, including the New York Post and Irish Independent, naming the person of interest despite police silence.
Irish police and the Department of Justice declined to confirm the suspect’s identity to Fox News Digital, stating only that there were “no additional updates at this time.” The investigation continues as authorities work across borders to track the fugitive, while the victim’s family and the public await answers.