July 11, 2026, 9:59 a.m. ET
A woman who was found dead in her home in Ireland this week had deep ties to New York’s Lower Hudson Valley, according to family members and Irish authorities.
Jamey Noel Carney, 43, was found dead inside her home on Muckross Road in Killarney, Ireland, on Tuesday, July 7, according to Ireland’s national police service, An Garda Síochána. Authorities are investigating her death as a homicide.
Family members say Carney grew up in Westchester County before later living in Rockland County. She moved to Ireland with her daughter in 2021.
Carney had roots in Westchester, Rockland
According to GoFundMe fundraisers created by relatives and close friends, Carney grew up in Yonkers and graduated from Byram Hills High School in 2001.
Public records reviewed by The Journal News show she lived for years in Westchester County and later spent time living in Congers.
Carney’s sister, Devon Bennett, wrote on GoFundMe that Carney and her 13-year-old daughter had been living in Bergen County, New Jersey, before relocating to Killarney in 2021.
“Jamey was an insanely caring human being, who dedicated so much of herself, her energy and her time to fighting for the rights of others,” Bennett wrote.
Carney’s cousin, Ryan Fox, described her as “sensitive,” “soft-spoken” and a passionate advocate for women’s rights.
“My cousin didn’t deserve this. She had too big of a heart,” Fox told The Journal News. “Even with everything going on in the world that can create anger or biases, she always put her trust in people and wanted to help people.”
“We come from a family that’s not perfect, but Jamey found her way out and found a new start,” Fox said. “She did everything for her daughter.”
Fundraisers organized by family and friends have raised more than $17,000 to help cover funeral expenses and support Carney’s daughter as she remains in Ireland.
“My mother and I traveled within a day of hearing the news of the untimely death of my sister and are currently here, working with the Killarney Garda and social services to make sure my niece can stay in the land she loves, especially while grieving this tragic loss,” Bennett wrote on social media.
Carney is survived by her mother, Kathy; her sister, Devon; her daughter, Michaela; and extended family.
How did Jamey Carney die?
The Irish Times reported that Ireland’s chief state pathologist, Dr. Linda Mulligan, determined Carney died from suffocation.
Irish investigators have identified a man known to Carney as the primary suspect and believe he left Ireland shortly after the killing.
Friends and former classmates described the suspect in GoFundMe posts as Carney’s former boyfriend.
Police have described the suspect as a Middle Eastern man but have not publicly identified him. RTÉ reported he had lived in Ireland for an extended period before the killing.
Authorities believe the suspect traveled by bus to Dublin before boarding a flight out of the country. Irish police said they are working with international law enforcement partners to locate him.
