I don’t think someone in their early 60s is incapable of lifting a concrete block. I’m a 70 year old woman and can lift and move concrete blocks. Alfie Lyons looks quite wiry and fit in the docos. I think he made a much better suspect than Bailey. He was there, he has no alibi, he didn’t like Sophie, had been in conflict with her, interestingly about the gate where she was killed among other issues. He had a bandaged hand. He knew the Gards well, he was a drug dealer and we know the Gards were corrupt in their dealings around drugs. Regarding the blue dressing gown and boots, there is nothing unusual there. Here’s my scenario -Sophie was in her kitchen getting breakfast, she saw something happening at the gate, she pulled on her old garden boots and was already in her dressing gown and went down to confront the person or people at the gate, as she was a confrontational type, and an argument ensued which ended in a violent assault. Makes sense doesn’t it? To say that a person who had to hike a 12km round trip to kill someone they’d never met is ludicrous. Bailey was an outsider in rural Ireland. He was the perfect patsy.
Thanks for writing such an interesting comment. I've decided to write a post about Alfie in the new year, because he is a suspect/witness who seems to be quite popular with several readers. I have come to think Sofie died nearer breakfast time than midnight. Some people refer to the stomach contents as resembling breakfast more than an evening meal. Most of the docos seem to favour a time in the middle of the night, perhaps 3am to tie in with all of that Kealfadda Bridge stuff (red herring?) and the long black coat. I find myself wishing that Shirley or Alfie had touched Sophie, perhaps held her hand - there is the tantalising prospect that the body was still warm. Your scenario makes perfect sense, fits everything we know and is very plausible.
I doubt the block was the murder weapon. Her blood would have spattered it if Alfie hit her with a blunt tool (a wrench, a spanner - any of those multi-use tools). Alfie is the only one who could have done it - anyone else would have had to go to a lot of trouble to get to this very remote, awkward location.
Certainly possible. I have been re-reading various books and watching the documentaries. Michael Sheridan's book refers to a 'kindle axe' or small hatchet that was supposed to be in the cottage but has never been found. I don't remember anyone else referring to this axe - have you come across any reference to it?
Only indirectly - people saying the read / heard about it. The housekeeper was interviewed extensively for a French TV currents affairs programme shortly after the murder, and I think she mentioned it then.
Sophie’s housekeeper, Josie Hellen said there was a small hatchet that was usually kept by the back door that was missing but this was never corroborated and Sophie’s wounds did not match such a tool.
Good point re the wounds. Maybe he used a blunt object (not the breeze block as it was only spattered with blood - there wasn't even enough blood on it to extract a DNA sample).
I don’t think someone in their early 60s is incapable of lifting a concrete block. I’m a 70 year old woman and can lift and move concrete blocks. Alfie Lyons looks quite wiry and fit in the docos. I think he made a much better suspect than Bailey. He was there, he has no alibi, he didn’t like Sophie, had been in conflict with her, interestingly about the gate where she was killed among other issues. He had a bandaged hand. He knew the Gards well, he was a drug dealer and we know the Gards were corrupt in their dealings around drugs. Regarding the blue dressing gown and boots, there is nothing unusual there. Here’s my scenario -Sophie was in her kitchen getting breakfast, she saw something happening at the gate, she pulled on her old garden boots and was already in her dressing gown and went down to confront the person or people at the gate, as she was a confrontational type, and an argument ensued which ended in a violent assault. Makes sense doesn’t it? To say that a person who had to hike a 12km round trip to kill someone they’d never met is ludicrous. Bailey was an outsider in rural Ireland. He was the perfect patsy.
Thanks for writing such an interesting comment. I've decided to write a post about Alfie in the new year, because he is a suspect/witness who seems to be quite popular with several readers. I have come to think Sofie died nearer breakfast time than midnight. Some people refer to the stomach contents as resembling breakfast more than an evening meal. Most of the docos seem to favour a time in the middle of the night, perhaps 3am to tie in with all of that Kealfadda Bridge stuff (red herring?) and the long black coat. I find myself wishing that Shirley or Alfie had touched Sophie, perhaps held her hand - there is the tantalising prospect that the body was still warm. Your scenario makes perfect sense, fits everything we know and is very plausible.
I doubt the block was the murder weapon. Her blood would have spattered it if Alfie hit her with a blunt tool (a wrench, a spanner - any of those multi-use tools). Alfie is the only one who could have done it - anyone else would have had to go to a lot of trouble to get to this very remote, awkward location.
Certainly possible. I have been re-reading various books and watching the documentaries. Michael Sheridan's book refers to a 'kindle axe' or small hatchet that was supposed to be in the cottage but has never been found. I don't remember anyone else referring to this axe - have you come across any reference to it?
Only indirectly - people saying the read / heard about it. The housekeeper was interviewed extensively for a French TV currents affairs programme shortly after the murder, and I think she mentioned it then.
Sophie’s housekeeper, Josie Hellen said there was a small hatchet that was usually kept by the back door that was missing but this was never corroborated and Sophie’s wounds did not match such a tool.
Good point re the wounds. Maybe he used a blunt object (not the breeze block as it was only spattered with blood - there wasn't even enough blood on it to extract a DNA sample).