Grandson of strangled Tipperary pensioner says she told him: 'They want me dead'
Daniel Ray O’Brien made the shocking discovery of his grandmother Josephine (89) strangled to death and with facial injuries in the bedroom of her home
The grandson of murder victim Josephine Ray says she previously expressed fears for her life - and he believes she “put up a fight.”
Daniel Ray O’Brien made the shocking discovery of his grandmother Josephine (89) strangled to death and with facial injuries in the bedroom of her home in St Joseph’s Park in Nenagh, Co Tipperary on Sunday.
Speaking exclusively to this paper from his home, which is just yards from his grandmother’s, a heartbroken Daniel claimed he and other family members saw this coming for some time - and claimed that Josephine herself told him of her fears that she might be killed.
READ MORE: Grandson of strangled Tipperary pensioner describes chilling moment he found her 'petrified' body
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“Plenty of times. She told me “they want me dead.” I don’t know. It’s crazy. I feel like the State let her down big time,” he said. “We contacted the guards about 40 times at least. She broke her hip three or four months back in that house in suspicious circumstances too.”
Grieving Daniel believes he knows the people who are responsible for his grandmother’s death - and claims numerous complaints were made about them prior to this tragedy. “I rang the ambulance when I found her on the floor with the broken hip three or four months ago.”
Daniel says he moved his grandmother into his house after that incident - but she ultimately returned home because she feared losing it to the council. “We cared for her here and with that she still had no peace.” he said. “We always knew something terrible was going to happen.”
Heartbroken Daniel, who is now waiting for his grandmother’s body to be released so a funeral can be arranged, previously told this paper how he got a call to go to her house on Sunday - and then discovered her dead in her bed.
Speaking today, he believes that based on the person he believes is responsible, and the horrific scene he came upon, that Josephine fought for her life. “She put up a fight I think because she would have." he claimed.
“My grandmother was afraid of them. There was loads (of warning signs). But she just wanted to live there without any trouble.”
And speaking about the man he believes is responsible for his grandmother’s murder, as Gardai have yet to make an arrest, Daniel said: “He is very capable I think. He is very vicious. She was terrified.”
He also believes that those responsible are unlikely to come forward and admit what they did. “I hope so, I really do, but I know they won’t. They really won’t,” Daniel said. “(The person who did this) is an evil person. Pure evil,” he said. He also believes there are others who may be shielding his grandmother’s killer.
“And to me I feel like they do know something. They definitely know something,” he said. Daniel, who described his grandmother as “full of life” and looking forward to celebrating her 90th birthday next March, says he’s now haunted by what he saw on Sunday.
“It’s still in my head. I couldn’t sleep. It was so traumatic. I can’t get it out of my head. Her two hands were clenched near the head, her eyes wide open, her mouth open, blood in it. Her black eye was massive and bruises to her face as well. I was told that before I came in the blanket had been pulled down from her head.
“Thats the way I found her with the blanket down just under her neck.” Daniel also claims that local gardai were called the night before the murder. “My grandmother asked my sister to ring the guards.
However nothing occurred from that incident, he says, and they’ve since learned from neighbours that his grandmother was last seen alive sitting outside her house at 2am on Sunday morning. So it was after two anyway because she was seen by the neighbour at 2am.
“My Mam brought her to bed and that was the last time seen her. Then neighbour’s said she was sitting outside on the bench.” he said. “We don’t know what happened after that.”
In an emotional tribute to his grandmother, who was known locally as both “Josie” and “Joan,” Daniel said: “We were the closest and she loved me. She used to spoil me rotten. My mother and her were more best friends than anything. My mother lost her best friend really. She’s devastated still.
“This was her safe place to come and my mother and me were her safe place. Everyone knew her. So she was a real country woman. She loved Irish music, Irish dancing. She was brilliant at playing the accordion.”
Josephine, he said, has a big family including grandkids - who are all devastated over her loss. Her 90th birthday she was talking about that, and next week she was supposed to go out to the pub up the road for her favourite singer,” he said.
The grieving grandson says all he wants now is for those responsible to be caught - and also for the State to admit it let Josephine down. I want first of all the State to say that they did let her down and please do admit it. They did let her down.
“That would be justice for her and for us in that sense. Then with the whole murder investigation I know they won’t come forward but I just hope the guards do find every single little bit of evidence to catch them.
“I don’t think jail is good enough for them for the torture they did before. It was torture a long time before this and it wasn’t good enough. She was such a lovely person and everyone loved her. There wasn’t one bit of badness in her,” he said.
An Garda Síochána has made an appeal for witnesses, particularly those who were in the St Joseph’s Park area of Nenagh, between 8pm last Saturday and midday on Sunday, to come forward. Additionally, individuals with video recordings, including motorists with dash cams, from the area within the timeframe are asked to provide footage to investigating Gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station at 067 50450, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
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