A 17-year-old teenager, who was kidnapped and dismembered, left a chilling final message for his mother before his demise in a brutal gang-related killing. The tragic murder of Keane Mulready-Woods in 2020 deeply shocked Ireland and rattled the entire nation. Engaged in a drug feud in Drogheda, the young boy was enticed to a residence on January 12 where he was subjected to torture and decapitated. His body parts were discarded from a vehicle in a sports bag onto a footpath in Moatview. Subsequently, his head, hands, and feet were discovered in a burned-out car in Dublin a few days later. The violent incident triggered a series of retaliatory assaults, culminating in the assassination of the main suspect, Robbie Lawlor, who was shot dead while collecting a drug debt.
Before his disappearance, Keane contacted his mother, informing her of his delayed return and requesting money for a taxi. Keane, who had been enlisted as a drug courier for a local gang, was under curfew to return home before nightfall and had been compliant with the regulations, as reported by the Irish Independent.
At the time of his tragic death, Keane was on parole after being convicted of intimidating a local mother regarding the drug debts accumulated by her child for the gang. Lawlor allegedly murdered Keane under the belief that the teenager was involved in the killing of his brother-in-law, Richie Carberry, at his residence in November 2019.
Authorities suspect Lawlor proceeded to torment the teenager, despite initially intending to administer a “punishment beating” for a minor drug debt. A source disclosed to the Irish Sun, “Lawlor fixated on Mulready-Woods and was resolute on ending his life as he was convinced of his significant role in Carberry’s death. He escalated his violence by dismembering the teenager’s remains and subsequently taunting his adversaries about it.” The ruthless 36-year-old had links to multiple homicides and a lengthy criminal record before meeting his demise. In a prior incident, he was acquitted of attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend’s new partner’s mother, securing his release from court in December.
Shortly after his acquittal, Lawlor was assaulted outside a gym by an individual associated with one of his alleged murder victims. His gym bag was stolen, and his foes shared images of themselves wearing his flip-flops. It is widely believed that Keane was present during the attack, leading Lawlor to seek vengeance. A post following Keane’s death included the haunting caption: “Won’t be robbing a man’s flip-flops again.”
In February 2023, local criminal Paul Crosby was sentenced to a 10-year imprisonment for facilitating Keane’s murder, while his accomplice Gerard “Rocky” Cruise received a seven-year jail term. Another individual, Gerard ‘Ged’ McKenna, admitted to cleaning up and removing evidence from the crime scene.
During a victim impact statement read on behalf of Keane’s grieving mother, Elizabeth expressed, “No one could fathom the darkness and sadistic cruelty in our country. I can still hear him calling ‘Mam, Mam’ – and the haunting nightmares persist with us. To lose my child, my son, my baby in such an inhumane, barbaric manner is appalling,” she lamented, acknowledging a part of her that perished as well. “I couldn’t shield him.”