A migrant who left Ireland following the savage killing of an American woman in a well-known tourist destination has been taken into custody in his home country of Jordan, Irish media reported.
The man, described by Irish police as a “person of interest,” was arrested within the last 48 hours by Jordan’s Public Security Directorate after officials became aware he had returned to Jordan and was linked to the Garda murder inquiry, according to the Irish Mirror.
The outlet said Irish authorities were notified of the detention on Monday.
Irish police told Fox News Digital they were aware “of the arrest of a male in Jordan by the Jordanian authorities,” though they did not name the individual or verify that he was the person of interest in the case.
Authorities in Ireland also said they “have not made any request to the Jordanian authorities for the arrest of any person at this time.”
Ireland has no extradition agreement with Jordan, where the man is currently being held, the Irish Independent reported.
The individual at the center of the investigation had reportedly been denied asylum in Ireland but was still living there while challenging that decision before the killing occurred.
He was still in possession of his passport, which enabled him to depart Ireland before Carney’s body was found, according to the Irish Mirror.
The reported arrest marks a major turn in the investigation after the man fled Ireland before Carney’s body was discovered, sparking an international search spanning Ireland, Turkey and now Jordan.
Jamey Carney, 43, a New York native who moved to Ireland in 2021, died from suffocation after suffering head injuries at her home in Killarney, County Kerry, The Irish Times reported.
The idyllic tourist town is hugely popular among U.S. tourists.
Detectives believe Carney was killed around 11 p.m. Monday, hours before her 13-year-old daughter discovered her body at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
By then, the man had traveled roughly 200 miles by bus to Dublin Airport and boarded a flight to Istanbul, according to the Irish Independent.
The Irish Independent reported the man had expressed a desire to relocate to the United States and had told acquaintances Carney was helping him pursue U.S. residency. Investigators now believe the Jordanian national was with Carney on Monday evening, the night she was fatally assaulted.
He arrived in Ireland in 2024 – amid an influx of illegal immigrants descending on the island country – and worked in the hospitality and construction sectors before becoming involved in a relationship with Carney, according to the Irish Independent.
Irish police also have yet to publicly identify the person of interest or release his name, photograph or any physical description, a decision that has drawn criticism from a former FBI agent and Irish politicians, as previously reported by Fox News Digital.
Because Carney was an American citizen, an Irish police request to Interpol will now be monitored by the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB), the U.S. liaison to Interpol staffed by personnel from the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, according to the Irish Independent.
The FBI told Fox News Digital it stands ready to assist Irish authorities if requested.
“Through our Legal Attaché in London, we have strong, established relationships and stand ready to assist in any way that the Irish government may request,” the FBI said in a statement.
“We would refer you to the Irish authorities leading the investigation for any comment on this matter.”
Fox News Digital asked Irish police and Ireland’s Department of Justice to confirm reports that the man had previously been refused asylum while appealing that decision.
Neither agency confirmed the reports.
The man had been living in state-run accommodation for asylum seekers in Killarney before spending increasing amounts of time at Carney’s home after they became romantically involved, according to the Irish Mirror.
He first arrived in the United Kingdom before traveling through Northern Ireland and eventually settling in County Kerry, according to the Irish Mirror.
His social media accounts contain posts from the United Kingdom and Turkey in recent years.
Carney’s social media profiles described her as a “New Yorker in Ireland” and showed her with a man she identified as her partner, writing in one post that they were a “mixed couple.”
Carney also indicated in one social media post that she had begun learning Arabic.
Multiple Irish media outlets have identified the man as the person police are seeking, though Irish police have not publicly confirmed his identity or reported immigration status.
