A man who left Ireland after the violent killing of an American woman in a well-known tourist town has been arrested in his home country of Jordan, according to reports in Irish media.
The man, identified by Irish police as a “person of interest,” was taken into custody within the last 48 hours by Jordan’s Public Security Directorate after officials learned he had returned to Jordan and was connected to a murder investigation in Ireland, the Irish Mirror reported. Irish authorities were reportedly notified of the arrest on Monday.
Irish police told INC News they were aware “of the arrest of a male in Jordan” by Jordanian authorities, though they did not name the individual or confirm whether he is the person of interest in the case.
Police also said they “have not made any request to the Jordanian authorities for the arrest of any person at this time.”
Ireland does not have an extradition agreement with Jordan, where the man is currently being held, the Irish Independent reported.
American citizen Jamey Carney, right, was found dead at her home in Killarney, Ireland, where police have opened a murder investigation. The town, left, is among Ireland’s most popular tourist destinations. (iStock / Jamey Carney via Facebook)
The man linked to the investigation had reportedly been denied asylum in Ireland but was still living in the country while appealing the decision before the killing occurred. He retained possession of his passport, which allowed him to leave Ireland before Carney’s body was found, according to the Irish Mirror.
The reported arrest represents a significant development in the case, following the man’s departure from Ireland before Carney was discovered dead and an international search that has involved 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 INC News.
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 INC News 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.”
Side-by-side Facebook photos of American citizen Jamey Carney, who was found dead at her home in Killarney, County Kerry. Irish police have launched a murder investigation into her death. (Facebook)
INC News 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.
