'This is a terrible tragedy for the Kriegel family, our school and our community' - school pays tribute to much-loved student Ana (14) Inset photo: Austin Crowe

Gardaí are confident DNA found at the murder scene will positively identify schoolgirl Anastasia ‘Ana’ Kriegel’s killer.

The 14-year-old was beaten to death with bricks and sticks, and subjected to a serious sexual assault in an abandoned farmhouse in Lucan, Co Dublin.

Expand Close Anastasia ‘Ana’ Kriegel Photo: Austin Crowe / Facebook

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A suspect in Ana’s murder is a 13-year-old boy, who was known to her.

Senior investigating officers are hopeful they can recover the killer’s DNA from the victim, her clothing, which was found close to the body, and the bloodstains in the building. The results from DNA tests are expected over the weekend.

A forensic examination of the mobile phone owned by the murdered schoolgirl may also yield vital clues to the identity of her killer.

A post-mortem examination of the body, carried out by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy yesterday, confirmed that Ana had died from blunt force trauma to the head.

The result showed she had been savagely assaulted with a blunt weapon, possibly a brick, in the farmhouse at Clonee Road, near St Catherine’s Park.

The teenage girl was then left for dead and her body was found without clothing, which were scattered nearby, on Thursday at around 1pm.

Expand Close Gardaí searching agricultural fields between St Catherine’s park and the farmhouse grounds. Photo: Caroline Quinn Caroline Quinn / Facebook

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Gardaí believe the murder weapons used were at the farmhouse rather than brought to the scene.

It’s believed she was murdered shortly after she went missing. Her worried parents had contacted gardaí at 8.30pm on Monday when she hadn’t returned to her Leixlip, Co Kildare, home as it was out of character for her.

The popular teenager was last seen in St Catherine’s Park, Lucan, at 5.30pm. Her disappearance sparked an extensive search by gardaí.

They had been tracking her phone signal which was pinging off a nearby mast and showed the phone was located somewhere within St Catherine's Park area.

Officers are now trying to track down friends and social media acquaintances, who had been in contact with Ana either earlier on Monday or over the weekend.

Gardaí have already contacted the families of some of her friends with the intention of taking statements from them to help build up a picture of her final hours.

Ana, who was originally from Russia, was adopted by her parents at the age of two and has a younger brother.

Supt John Gordon said the murder victim’s family were left “extremely distressed” and appealed for privacy.

Officers yesterday combed the large field searching for any evidence or clues that will assist the murder investigation.

Abandoned

Gardaí believe she travelled through the field before being beaten to death in the abandoned farmhouse.

A primary theory being explored by detectives is that her killer had good local knowledge of the area.

Officers believe she was in the company of a number of male juveniles, who have been spoken to as part of the investigation.

The scene on Clonee Road, Lucan remained cordoned off yesterday as members of the Garda Technical Bureau arrived to carry out further examinations.

A large number of floral tributes and sympathy cards had been placed at the site.

Gardaí have appealed to others who were in touch with Ana or might have some information about her plans for Monday evening to contact them at the investigation headquarters in Leixlip.

Telephone 01 666 7800 or use the confidential number 1800 666111.

Irish Independent