Icelandic police investigating the killings of a father and daughter in a Reykjavik hotel have sent a formal legal request to gardaí, asking them to search the victims’ home in Dublin.
The man, who was aged in his 50s, and his adult daughter were French citizens but had been living in Dublin for about a decade before travelling to Iceland earlier this month for a week-long holiday.
On the morning of June 14th, they were found with multiple stab wounds in a room on the fourth floor of the Edition Hotel where they had been staying.
A woman, aged in her 60s, was arrested at the scene. She is the wife of the deceased man and mother of the dead woman.
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Icelandic police have been liaising with both gardaí and French police since the start of the investigation to gather information about the suspect and victims.
They have now sent a formal international legal request asking gardaí to search the family’s home in Dublin to determine a potential motive for the killings. It is understood gardaí are happy to comply with the request.
Icelandic police have yet to release the name of the victims or suspect, in line with standard procedure in the country. However, some details have emerged about the family.
They moved to Ireland in 2017 where they maintained a low profile. The father is from New Caledonia, a tiny collection of islands in the south Pacific which are governed by France. The mother was born in metropolitan France to parents who came to the country from Asia.
The family arrived in Reykjavik on June 7th. They stayed in two rooms at the luxury Edition Hotel where rooms costs at least €1,000 a night. During the day they went on daytrips before returning to the hotel in the evenings.
The man had been suffering from advanced kidney disease and required regular treatment.
They were due to return to Dublin on the morning their bodies were found by hotel staff. They had suffered extensive stab wounds and a knife was found at the scene.
The mother was taken to Landspítali Hospital for treatment for serious but non-life threatening life injuries.
Police are trying to determine if these injuries were self-inflicted.
She remains in hospital under police guard. She has given two formal statements to police.
Last week police were granted a further two weeks to hold her in custody.
The Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV reports that she is likely to remain in custody until at least September when a decision will be made on whether to formally charge her with murder.
Under Icelandic law, the public prosecutor has 12 weeks from arrest to determine if a suspect should face formal charges.
Police are expected to object to the woman being released on bail before a decision is made.
Forensic investigations of the suspected murder weapon are continuing while the room in the Edition Hotel remains sealed off as a crime scene, RÚV reports.
The woman is next due before a judge on July 4th.
