Missing Kerry farmer, Mike Gaine from Kenmare

[SocksPants]

https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/0329/1504660-michael-gaine/

Anyone following this story.?
It's been over a week now since he went missing. Hard to see it having a happy ending.

Watching with interest. At this time, I just hope the family get his body to bury him. It must be hell for them not knowing what's happened.

Haven't been following it closely but I was only talking to DH about it today. In the context that some missing persons are just reported in a factual way and others are the focus of a huge search. I think it must be either there is something suspicious they are not revealing in the high profile searches, or perhaps most other cases have backstories involving MH problems where suicide is suspected but here it is very unlikely.

I can't imagine the horror friends and family are going through.

Upgraded to a murder investigation. Very unusual in the absence of a body, they must have some information they aren't revealing...

Such a strange story

Agree @sockmate , they must know more. I hope his body is found soon, the poor man.

Was reading a lot of comments under various Facebook news outlet posts this morning and there seems to be a lot of people making accusations about the wife , commenting on the fact that she keeps referring to him in past tense, that their marriage was in trouble and something about another man moving into their home too . It's all very strange

That's so odd you say that. I didn't see any comments but I thought something seemed 'off' with the wife..she didnt seem to have genuine emotion. But she could be medicated or anything due to all the stress so comes across sort of emotion-less. Poor man whatever happened him

The Gardai were quick to upgrade this to a murder investigation. They must have found a significant reason for this, either physical evidence or information they have received.

I presume she is speaking about him in the past tense because the gardai have told her that they have strong circumstantial evidence that he is dead.
A spouse can't win in this situation with armchair psychologists analysing her every word and gesture to find reasons why she might be guilty.

From what I've read and heard, the most likely suspect is the American ex soldier who was living a property on the farm and whom Michael Gaine wanted removed.

I agree.

Did Mike have children I wonder as I haven’t seen them / heard them in the media ?

He doesn't have children.

Tgank you for replying @SocksPants

This is the strangest case...

Maybe he had a motor bike and has had an accident on the property. Or went on a long walk to check stock?

Often farmers have quad ones so yes that would fit.

It’s so awful. I have a missing brother (found him once after 20 years but missing again) and it’s very distressing.

If he had a motorbike or quad bike or pedal bike, his wife or friends or neighbours would know about it and know it was missing and the gardai would have said this.
I know the gardai have a bit of a reputation for incompetence but this has been one of the most well resourced investigations/searches, probably in the history of the state.
They had 50 soldiers combing the land, they had divers searching lakes & waterways.
I presume by upgrading to murder that the police have some very strong suspicions that he was murdered and I presume they have a good idea who did it but need to find some evidence, which should be easier to find now that it is a murder investigation, getting warrants etc.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/mike-gaine-search-forensic-investigators-arrive-at-missing-kerry-mans-farm-as-suspected-body-parts-are-found/a1479765380.html

Looks like a major development.

Yes, I'm watching this with interest. Its the strangest case ever. In some ways I hope its him so at least an answer for the family and friends

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41634004.html

I'm guessing it's the American guy who was living on his farm, he was in his fifties

Was he? I couldn't remember. Were they describing him as 'vulnerable' or was that someone else? I wonder what on earth happened. Why murder him? 😒

Just catching up with this now & yeah it's a very strange case, the poor man

There seems to be some debate online about whether the body was put in the slurry tank immediately after the murder and the gardai missed it, in their search, which would be unforgivable, or whether it was put in after the gardai searched it.

I think they might have moved it there after it was searched as a 'safe' option. ie it wouldn't be searched as they already had

It’s gruesome

This is such a shocking case but it did seem, given the nature of the search, that the guards knew more than was released to the public and has a fair idea who did it, just not where poor Mike was.

If, as seems to be the case, his wife had no involvement, I hope someone can make an example of the armchair detectives who were so confident she did it. Shades of Nicola Bulley all over again