jungle death Cigarette butts with DNA from two unknown males ‘found near Nóra’s body’, inquest told

Cigarette butts containing DNA traces of two unknown males were found in a wooden hut near to where the body of schoolgirl Nóra Quoirin was found in a Malaysian jungle last year, the inquest into her death has heard.

A former investigating officer told the Coroner’s Court there was no evidence to suggest anything criminal had happened and there were no signs of a struggle or sexual assault.

Nóra (15) vanished from the Dusun Resort on August 4 last year, a day after her family arrived on holiday.

The French-Irish teenager’s body was found around two miles away from the jungle retreat 10 days later after a hunt involving helicopters, sniffer dogs and hundreds of searchers.

An autopsy later found that the 15-year-old, who had learning difficulties, likely died of internal bleeding linked to starvation after spending about a week in the dense rainforest.

Testifying as the inquest’s 48th witness yesterday, Inspector Mohd Nor Nikman Ahammed said DNA analysis samples had been collected from a number of locations including from the resort where the Quoirin family had been staying, nine cars, the wooden hut near where Nóra’s body was found and during the post-mortem examination.

He said no DNA traces of Nóra were found in the cars or wooden hut.

“We gathered all of the evidence and testimonies including DNA samples, fingerprints and witness statements but none of them indicated criminality like abduction,” he said.

“We took into account the possibility that the deceased was abducted and subsequent investigations were conducted but none could prove she was taken against her will at the time.

“Based on the available evidence so far, the investigation was concluded with no criminal elements found in the disappearance and death of the deceased.”

However there were DNA traces of two unknown males from cigarette butts found in the wooden hut.

Lawyer Sathky Vell, representing the Quoirin family, asked if the investigation team had been able to identify these two males. He was told their profiles were not found on any database.

The inquest continues.

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Online Editors