Posted by Updated / Monday, 19 Jan 2026 21:05
The family of a Belfast man whose body lay unidentified in a Dublin morgue for over a year, despite the fact that he had been carrying identification, has said they hope a police ombudsman investigation into the case will prevent similar incidents in the future.
The remains of 43-year-old father-of-two James O’Neill were found in a wooded area of Phoenix Park in November 2023, but it was December 2024 before his family were informed of his death.
Today, the O’Neill family met with investigators from Fiosrú, the office of the police ombudsman, as they began their investigation into case.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr O’Neill’s father, Paul O’Neill, said his family were looking for answers as to how gardaí conducted their investigation, which the family are critical of.
He said his son had been found with “nine separate identification items” in his pockets and was placed in the morgue as an unidentified person.
He also said that during the 13-month period, gardaí did not make a public appeal in the case, which he said the family have found “really hard to get our heads around”.
Paul O’Neill said his family wants to find out how something like this could possibly have happened, and to have processes in place to ensure a similar incident does nto happen in the future.
He described the last couple of years as “devastating and bewildering” and said it has been full of sleepless nights and constant questions.
The family’s solicitor, Pádraig Ó Muirigh, said the case was “very tragic but also very preventable” and said there was “serious shortcomings” in the garda investigation.
An inquest into the death was scheduled to take place in Dublin last week but was adjourned. The family has also engaged a former state pathologist in Northern Ireland, Jack Crane, to review the case.
Paul O’Neill described his late son as someone who had a great circle of friends and who loved to travel around. He said the key issue was how he was treated in death.
“Regardless whose son it is, we don’t think that anyone should be subject to the type of disregard and negligence that Jim was treated to,” he said.
In a statement, gardaí said that as the matter is now being investigated by Fiosrú, it would not be in a position to comment.
Fiosrú confirmed it met the O’Neill family today and said it has no further comment as the investigation is ongoing.
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