Gardaí believe that the main suspect in the Killarney murder inquiry has fled Ireland.
It is believed that the main suspect fled the country hours after the killing, before the victim's body was found.
US woman Jamey Carney was found dead at her home on the Muckross Road yesterday by a family member.
The attack occurred on Monday night or the early hours of Tuesday morning at her home in the Muckross Road area of Killarney.
The woman in her 40s had a 13-year-old daughter and suffered fatal head injuries in the attack.
It was revealed last night that the post-mortem examination had been completed and the inquiry is now determined as a murder investigation.
According to the Irish Times, Gardaí understand that the man they are looking for is from the Middle East and befriended the victim and has information on her cause of death.
After Carney's body was discovered Gardaí carried out checks in Dublin Airport and asked that the Police Service of Northern Ireland to monitor the Belfast Airport.
Detectives believed that the man travelled in the early hours of the morning to Dublin and caught a flight to Turkey. They are currently liaising with Interpol to track the man's movements.
“An Garda Síochána is satisfied that a person of interest in this investigation left the jurisdiction in the early hours of Tuesday 7th July prior to the body of the deceased female being discovered and reported to An Garda Síochána,” the gardaí said in a statement, as quoted by the Irish Times.
Gardaí have stated that they will not reveal who their main suspect is as it may have long term effects on their investigation.
The suspect has been living in Ireland for a number of years where he has been in the international protection system, according to The Journal. The man from the Middle East is reportedly from a country that has a good relationship with Ireland.
Gardaí fear that the man has flown to Turkey and proceeded to his home country as they may experience difficulty having him extradited. Under Irish law, a person can only be extradited if they have sentenced or charged with an offence. However, reportshave suggested that it is not impossible due to Ireland's good relationship with the suspects home country.
Since Carney was a US citizen, and the main suspect is a man from the Middle East, Gardaí are concerned that this could spark racial tensions in the Republic. They worry that US far right and political figures will take up this tragic incident and use it as fuel to stir racial strife
