Posted by Alfie Lyons was a neighbor of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a French television producer murdered in West Cork, Ireland, in December 1996. Lyons lived with his partner, Shirley Forster, in a two-bedroom farmhouse in Toormore, approximately 100 yards from Sophie’s holiday home, sharing a laneway with her property. Shirley Forster discovered Sophie’s body on the morning of December 23, 1996, near the entrance to their shared driveway, and Lyons alerted the Gardaí.
Lyons claimed he introduced Sophie to Ian Bailey, the primary suspect in the murder case, in June 1995 when Bailey was doing gardening work for him. Bailey, however, denied this introduction ever occurred and maintained he never met Sophie. Lyons’ statement to the Gardaí was significant in investigations attempting to establish whether Bailey and Sophie knew eachbaa other, as the cold case team believed Sophie likely knew her killer. Some sources note Lyons had a bandaged hand when interviewed by police after the murder and had prior disputes with Sophie, allegedly related to his cannabis-growing activities, which led to a 1993 search of his property following a tip-off. However, there is no definitive evidence linking Lyons directly to the crime, and some accounts suggest police dismissed him as a suspect due to his perceived age and frailty.
Lyons passed away in early 2021. Following his death, Shirley Forster put their farmhouse up for sale in July 2021 for €250,000, citing increased “dark tourism” to the area due to renewed interest in the case from documentaries like Murder at the Cottage (Sky) and Sophie: A Murder in West Cork (Netflix). The property was sold later that year but was listed again in April 2023 for €425,000 after significant renovations. The case remains unsolved, with ongoing investigations exploring Sophie’s local connections and potential motives
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