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The migrant who fled Ireland after the brutal killing of an American woman in a popular tourist town has been arrested in his native Jordan, according to Irish media.
The man, whom Irish police describe as a “person of interest,” was detained within the past 48 hours by Jordan’s Public Security Directorate after authorities learned he had returned to the country and was the focus of the Garda murder investigation, according to the Irish Mirror. The newspaper reported Irish officials were informed of the arrest Monday.
Irish police confirmed to Fox News Digital they were aware “of the arrest of a male in Jordan by the Jordanian authorities” but did not identify the man or confirm he was the person of interest in the investigation.
Police also confirmed 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 treaty with Jordan, where the man is being detained, according to the Irish Independent.
American citizen Jamey Carney, right, was found dead at her home in Killarney, Ireland, where police have launched a murder investigation. The town, left, is one of Ireland’s best-known tourist destinations. (iStock / Jamey Carney via Facebook)
The man at the center of the case had reportedly been refused asylum in Ireland but remained in the country while appealing that decision before the murder took place. He still possessed his passport, allowing him to leave Ireland before Carney’s body was discovered, 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.
WATCH: Harry Cole: American mom’s murder highlights Ireland’s immigration issues
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.”
HERE’S WHY IRELAND IS AT BOILING POINT OVER MASS IMMIGRATION
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)
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.
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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.