A woman from the Republic of Ireland linked to a double murder in her native country, is detained in custody after her arrest in Bloemfontein suburb, Pellisier on Tuesday, 4 October.
Ruth Sharon Lawrence (42) briefly appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court today regarding the murder of two men, Eoin O’ Connor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33) in 2014. According to international news, she is one of four suspects who were sought after the two men were found dead on an island on Lough Sheelin, County Meath. Both males had been reported missing on 22 April.
Capt. Christopher Singo, provincial spokesperson of the Hawks, said the woman’s arrest by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation team together with police in Bloemfontein, was prompted after receiving information about her whereabouts.
He said according to information circulated by Interpol; Lawrence reportedly fled Ireland with her South African boyfriend, Neville Peter Van der Westhuizen, to his home country in 2014.
“Lawrence’s arrest comes after Interpol issued a warrant of arrest regarding the murder of Connor and Keegan in Ireland in 2014. The police investigation in South Africa followed possible leads, culminating with her arrest on Tuesday in Bloemfontein. She’s remanded in custody while the process of extradition to Ireland is being finalised. She will be handed over to Interpol for extradition,” said Singo.
He said reliable information about Lawrence’s whereabout was received last Wednesday.
According to international news reports, two suspects were arrested by Gardai, the state police of Ireland, days after the men were found dead in 2014.
Van Westhuizen, one of the chief suspects in the double murder, is serving a 15-year imprisonment in South Africa for the murder of Cody Houghton (19) in Durban on 24 February 2017.
According to reports, Ireland detectives from Kells were pursuing the extradition of Van der Westhuizen to stand trial for the double murder in Ireland.
