Gardai to carry out cold case review of suspected murder of woman found decapitated in Kilkenny
Paiche Onyemaechi (25), was the daughter of the then chief justice of Malawi Leonard Unyolo
Gardaí are to carry out a cold case review into the suspected murder of a mother-of-two whose decapitated body was found in Co Kilkenny 20 years ago.
Paiche Onyemaechi (25), was the daughter of the then chief justice of Malawi Leonard Unyolo, and had been living in Ireland since 1999. She moved to Waterford in May 2001, but was reported missing on July 8th, 2004.
Her badly beaten and decapitated body was found in a plastic bag two weeks later on July 23rd in a field beside Brenar Bridge in the Piltown area of south Kilkenny. Her head has never been found.
READ MORE: Gardai want help solving murder of mum-of-two whose beheaded body was found in field
Garda sources have confirmed that a cold case review is to be officially announced on the 20th anniversary of her body being found. “Gardai based in Waterford and Kilkenny will be involved in the extensive review as the case has always remained open. Her death was particularly brutal,” a garda source added.
The young woman was reported missing by her husband Chika (31) who was originally from Nigeria. She had gone missing on several occasions, sometimes for up to a week, prior to her death. The last confirmed sighting of Ms Onyemaechi was at 5pm on the 8th July, 2004 at Pickardstown, Co Waterford.
Pickardstown is a rural location just outside the seaside town of Tramore and is located about 7.5km south of her then home. Gardai at the time probed whether she was ritually murdered and scoured for clues at her home she shared with her young sons in Herblion Park in Waterford.
They investigated claims that the dead woman worked as a lap-dancer in Limerick and Dublin and as a prostitute in Waterford. Also in 2004 an anonymous letter was sent to Gardaí which contained information on what was termed the culprits. At the time gardai would not be drawn on whether Ms Onyemaechi death could have been Ireland's first voodoo witchcraft victim as such body mutilation is common in these practices.
Ms Onyemaechi’s husband was questioned by Gardaí at the time but was released without charge.Two men and one woman were also arrested in connection with the case in the months following her death - but were also released without charge. One man was charged with withholding information in 2006.
Two gardai appeals for new information into the circumstances around her death were issued in 2009 and 2015. Anyone with information can contact Waterford Garda Station on 051-305300, or Crimestoppers on 1800 250 025.
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