Gardai have confirmed that two separate murder investigations are now underway into the deaths of two men in Sligo town this week.
They have named the man whose body was found last night as that of 58 year old Michael Snee.
His body was discovered just over 24 hours after 41-year-old Roscommon native Aidan Moffitt was found dead at his home in Cartron heights in Sligo town.
It's understood both men suffered significant physical injuries.
A post mortem on the Lisacul native took place last night at Sligo University hospital but the results are not being released for operational reasons.
A man in his early 20s is continuing to be questioned after being arrested on suspicion of murder early this morning.
Speaking at a press conference in Sligo town in the last few minutes, Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken gave this update on both investigations
‘I have commenced two separate murder investigations. A Senior Investigating Officer is in charge of each investigation supported by an incident room. Substantial Garda resources are dedicated to these investigations with further support from Regional and National Units.
‘Both scenes have been sealed off and remain so, the Garda Technical Bureau are conducting a detailed forensic examination of each scene.
‘A post mortem was carried out on the remains of Aidan Moffitt, yesterday, at University Hospital Sligo by Dr Sally Ann Collis, State Pathologist. A post mortem will be carried out on the remains of Michael Snee later today. I am not releasing any details of the post mortem examination for operational reasons.
Gardai say they are investigating if there was a hate-related motive to these murders.
Chief Superintendent Aidan Glackin from Sligo Garda Station says they're also investigating if both men met their attackers online:
‘We continue to retain an open mind in this investigation.
‘I would like to thank the community for their cooperation and assistance so far, information received from across the community continues to assist us in our investigation. It is heartening to see such cross-community support at this time.
‘I continue to appeal to the public for their assistance in that regard.
‘We are actively investigating as to whether there is any hate-related motive to these murders, An Garda Síochána will endeavour to seek out all the available evidence, and ultimately it will be for a Court to decide on the motivation behind these appalling crimes.
‘Gardaí are also investigating whether Michael and Aidan met their attacker online. Meeting people online is a normal activity. Meeting people online should be a safe activity. But as with any online activity everybody should be aware of personal safety advice, which we have provided on the Garda website.
‘We continue to explore all the circumstances of these cases and are examining another recent incident that occurred in the Sligo area. I am appealing to any person who may have been subject of any unwanted approaches or who was assaulted or otherwise attacked to contact the incident room at Sligo Garda Station. I have a dedicated diversity team here, we need to hear from you, we are here to listen to you and we are here to support you."
Justice Minister Helen McEntee says those responsible for the murders in Sligo will be brought to justice.
She also said new laws around homophobic attacks will be introduced in a number of weeks.
