SouthernWorldwide.com – An international manhunt is underway for a suspect in the murder of an American woman in Ireland, but Irish police are facing criticism for their refusal to identify the individual they are seeking.
Jamey Carney, 43, a New York native who had relocated to Ireland in 2021, was discovered deceased in her Killarney home on Monday evening. She sustained head injuries and died from suffocation, as reported by The Irish Times. Killarney, a picturesque town in County Kerry, is a popular destination for American tourists.
The man Irish police have identified as a “person of interest” had already departed Ireland before Carney’s body was found. He traveled approximately 200 miles from Killarney to Dublin Airport and boarded a flight to Turkey. This suggests authorities were aware of his identity but opted not to release it publicly.
Several Irish publications have indicated that the person of interest is an asylum seeker from Jordan who arrived in Ireland in 2024 amidst a significant increase in immigration.
The decision by Irish police not to name the suspect has drawn sharp criticism. Former FBI agent and Fox News contributor Mary Ellen McGregor stated that if a similar situation occurred in the United States, law enforcement agencies would typically release identifying information immediately to enlist public assistance in locating fugitives.
RTÉ, an Irish broadcaster, reported that police cited legal reasons for their inability to comment on the suspect’s age, name, or nationality, although no specific legal basis was provided.
According to Gript.ie, a 2015 immigration law that protects the identities of asylum seekers may be the reason for the police’s reticence. This law generally prohibits the publication of asylum seekers’ identities to safeguard them from individuals they may be fleeing.
Independent Dublin City Councilor Gavin Pepper, who has been critical of mass immigration in Ireland, condemned the decision not to publicly identify the person of interest, labeling it a serious public safety concern.
Irish police are treating Carney’s death as a murder investigation.
Pepper argued that if the suspect’s identity had been released sooner, law enforcement in the country he landed in might have been prepared to apprehend him.
However, not everyone agrees that the man’s reported immigration status should be the primary focus. Ruth Coppinger, a member of the Irish parliament from the People Before Profit party, criticized media outlets for identifying the man as an asylum seeker, suggesting some were “stoking the flames of racism.” She contended in parliament that “the common denominator in violence against women is a man, not a nationality.”
Carney’s body was discovered by her 13-year-old daughter in an upstairs bedroom of their home shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to The Irish Times.
Within an hour of Carney’s body being found, Irish police issued alerts to airports, ports, train stations, and bus stations. However, the person of interest had already left Ireland by then, as reported by the Irish Independent.
The difficulty in locating the suspect is increasing with the passage of time.
Irish police are now collaborating with Interpol, Europol, and Turkish authorities to track the man’s whereabouts after he flew to Istanbul. Detectives are concerned that he may have already left Turkey with local assistance and proceeded to Syria or his native Jordan.
This incident occurs as Ireland is experiencing a rise in violence against women. Gript.ie reported that eight women have died in violent circumstances in Ireland this year, matching the total for the entirety of 2025. An analysis by the outlet indicated that only one of the identified or sought suspects in these cases was an Irish national.
Ireland does not collect data on the ethnicity of individuals who commit crimes.
Carney was originally from Westchester County, north of New York City, and moved to Ireland in 2021, according to the Irish Independent.
Her social media profiles described her as a “New Yorker in Ireland” and featured photographs and videos of her with her daughter and a man she identified as her partner. In a recent post, she referred to them as a “mixed couple.”
Carney’s social media also indicated her support for the Free Palestine movement. Her Facebook bio included the phrase “Free Palestine” and “Fk Ice,” an apparent reference to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Several posts showed the couple attending pro-Palestinian rallies together.
Social media posts from the man named in media reports referred to Carney as “my love” and “my heart.”
His accounts also show activity from the United Kingdom and Turkey in recent years.
Carney’s LinkedIn profile indicated that she worked for a healthcare outsourcing company in Ireland, following previous roles as an insurance agent and real estate salesperson in the New York metropolitan area.
Carney’s sister, Devon Bennett, described her as “an insanely caring human being” who “dedicated so much of herself, her energy and her time to fighting for the rights of others.” Bennett added that Carney was particularly proud of her “brilliant daughter, Michaela.”
“We grew up in New York, but she spent much of her best years with Michaela in Bergen County, New Jersey,” Bennett told the outlet. “Their true home, where they both felt they truly belonged, was the beautiful town of Killarney.”
