Gardaí are investigating whether another child was used to pose as missing eight-year-old Kyran Durnin to deceive social services.
It comes after investigators identified another child who emergency workers reportedly believed was the missing boy.
Police suspect that at least four people were involved in attempts to cover up Kyran’s death.
On Wednesday, gardaí upgraded his missing person case to murder after receiving information indicating he had died.
Kyran was reported missing from his home in Drogheda, Co Louth, on August 30 this year, but gardaí believe he could have been dead for two years.
Gardaí are investigating whether another child was used to pose as missing eight-year-old Kyran Durnin to deceive social services
On Wednesday, gardaí upgraded the young boy’s missing person case to murder after receiving information indicating he had died.
His mother Dayla, who was also reported missing at the end of August, has been found safe and sound in Britain.
Gardaí are now trying to establish the last time Kyran could be verified as alive, whether through medical records, a photograph, eyewitness accounts or CCTV.
As investigations continue, gardaí now believe at least four people were involved in the death and subsequent cover-up. Several security sources have told the Irish Daily Mail that gardaí believe a group of people were involved in Kyran’s disappearance.
“You must understand that gardaí are still fully investigating the facts of this case,” the source said.
‘There are already so many tensions in this investigation. You also have to remember that there is no body at this time, so gardaí cannot determine the cause of death, or have a potential murder weapon, or give a reasonable timeline of when he actually died.
“But what they’re doing now is going through all the evidence to establish a point in time when they can say with certainty that he was alive.”
‘As to who was behind his death, gardaí are still keeping an open mind, but they are almost certain a group of people were behind it. There is also a theory that it was an accidental death and that this group of people worked together to prevent the authorities from being involved.
“This includes disposing of the body and doing certain things to make it appear to people that he is still alive.”
Gardaí are now investigating how Kyran’s school, as well as Tusla representatives who interviewed the Durnin family, were unaware the child was missing. In response to questions from the Mail, Tusla said it could not comment on individual cases.
A spokeswoman said: “We are particularly aware that there is an ongoing Garda investigation into this sensitive matter. We will continue to work closely with gardaí and other parties at this time where necessary.”
Questions are also being asked about why the state’s child safety mechanisms failed to detect that a child had been missing for two years. This is something our security sources describe as ‘bizarre’. They stated: ‘Gardaí were only made aware of the missing person case in August and then it was like opening Pandora’s box. The more they look at the case, the more incredible it becomes.
Dayla Durin, 24, was reported missing along with her son but is now believed to have been found in Britain
“Gardaí are now attending Kyran’s school to check attendance records and to determine if any incidents or warnings have been made regarding his safety. The fact that Tusla was already involved in this boy’s life is also very important. How many chances were there to realize he missed?’
Reacting to the news earlier this week, local Labor TD Ged Nash said anyone deliberately hiding information about Kyran should examine their conscience.
“I would appeal to anyone who can shed light on this situation to speak to An Garda Síochána,” he said. ‘There are no two ways to describe this: it’s every family’s worst nightmare. There will be people who know what happened, so I would ask them to examine their own consciences and do the right thing.”
Fine Gael TD for Louth Fergus O’Dowd described the case as ‘hugely shocking’ and added: ‘It is important to allow the Gardaí to continue their investigation without people speculating about what happened, but this is clearly a very tragic case. All I can do is try to encourage people who have any information to come forward.”
Gardaí continue to urge anyone with any information, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, to contact them.
A spokesperson said: ‘Gardaí are appealing to anyone with any information in connection with Kyran’s disappearance to contact Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any other Garda Station .
“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, will be welcomed by the investigation team. This information will be treated as strictly confidential. No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.”