Forensic Science Ireland uses Sliabh Liag murder as case study

Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) has utilized the 2023 murder of Robert Wilkin as a case study in its 2025 annual report. Wilkin was murdered in Donegal and his body was recovered from the sea at the base of the Sliabh Liag cliffs. Investigators determined the death was suspicious, believing Wilkin had been assaulted in a vehicle before arriving at the cliff location.

FSI supported the investigation through extensive laboratory examinations, including bloodstain pattern analysis, hair examination, and DNA profiling. Forensic evidence from a bloodstained rock, a car seat, and a roof covering allowed for the identification of the victim and provided critical links to the crime. Following a trial in the Central Criminal Court, Alan Vial and Nikita Burns were convicted of the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, though they have since appealed their convictions.

In a broader context, the Office of the State Pathologist (OSP) provides essential forensic pathology services to coroners and An Garda Síochána in Ireland. Operating under the Department of Justice, the OSP conducts post-mortem examinations to determine causes of death in cases involving homicides, suspicious deaths, road traffic accidents, and sudden or unexplained occurrences.