Chief suspect in murder of vulnerable Dublin woman (28) fled country before body was found
The chief suspect for the murder of a 28-year-old woman had already fled the country on a ferry before her body was found in a wood in west Dublin, garda investigations have established.
Yesterday, officers made a fresh appeal for information in the case of vulnerable woman Linda Evans Christian eight years after her body was found at Coolmine Woods in Blanchardstown.
The Irish Independent has learned that the suspect was well known to Ms Evans Christian and had been in communication with her for many months before she was murdered.
One line in the investigation is that the suspect 'preyed' on the victim, who suffered from mental health issues.
He was arrested by gardaí in 2018 when he returned to Dublin but was later released without charge due to lack of evidence.
Ms Evans Christian was last seen at around 9am on June 24, 2017, when she left the James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown where she was receiving treatment.
Linda Evans Christian
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th
She was reported missing by her family on July 1 and her badly decomposed body was found 16 days later in an area of undergrowth between Clonsilla Road and Snugborough Road.
The suspect in the case is a Romanian national who had been living at the time in the Mountjoy area of Dublin's north inner city.
'He had been identified when this was still a missing persons case as he was seen leaving the hospital with her on the day she was last seen alive – they were well known to each other,' a source said.
'Even before Linda's body was found, gardaí had visited where he had lived and it became clear that he had left Ireland less than 48 hours after she was last seen alive.'
Gardaí have established that Ms Evans Christian left the Ash Ward at the hospital with a man at 9.08am on Saturday June 24.
She was also seen with the same man at 9.24am at the junction of Church Avenue and Main Street in Blanchardstown.
In August 2017, detectives travelled to Romania to speak to the chief suspect in the case after he failed to return to Ireland.
Detectives have also travelled to the UK as part of the probe.
An exact cause of death was never established for Ms Evans Christian, who was fostered by the Christian family early in life and spent her first few years with them, living in their home on Hadleigh Green in Castleknock.
However gardaí believe she died a violent death.
In a statement yesterday, An Garda Siochana said: 'Despite an extensive garda investigation and a number of enquiries followed, including the arrest of a male in 2018, no one has been brought to justice for Linda's murder.
'Gardaí and Linda's family are appealing for people to come forward to assist with the investigation.
'An Garda Síochána would encourage anyone with any information regarding Linda's disappearance and murder, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to make contact with the investigation team.'
Anyone with information is asked to contact Blanchardstown garda station on 01 666 7000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
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