SEREMBAN, Sept 3 — Forensic and medical investigators did not unearth evidence of crime in the disappearance of Irish-French teen Nora Anne Quoirin, the Coroner’s Court heard today.
Deputy Negri Sembilan Criminal Investigation Department chief (Investigations/Legal) Superintendent Lee Kui Lin said there was also nothing to suggest Quoirin had been abducted as her family alleged.
“Based on the 57 fingerprint samples we obtained, 91 witnesses who have had their statements recorded, forensic investigation and pathology report, it does not show any criminal element in the case.
“Because we would have investigated all angles and take action if there was any hint of an element involving a motive of crime,” he told Coroner Maimoonah Aid.
When pressed by Quoirin’s lawyer S. Sakthyvell on whether investigators considered the theory that Quoirin was abducted and abandoned where her body was later found about 1.5km away from the resort, Lee said there was no evidence to support this.
However, he said investigators had included the possibility of her abduction but reiterated that nothing they learned had pointed them in this direction.
“There was no ransom, the post-mortem report showed the findings… what is the motive? There was no strangulation to show she was forcibly taken,” he said.
As the officer-in-charge of the overall supervision and completion of the Investigation Papers (IP) before they were submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), Lee said the probe was already completed, apart from several pending chemist reports, when the IP was referred to the AGC for further action on August 29, 2019.
Seeking out Interpol’s help
Lee also revealed that Quoirin’s fingerprints were not recorded when she entered Malaysia, citing technical issues faced by the Immigration Department at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
He said this made investigators seek assistance from the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to obtain a sample of Quoirin’s fingerprint from her home country of Ireland.
However, Lee said Interpol Ireland could not provide this and recommended that Bukit Aman instead contact Interpol France, which subsequently provided two samples.
Lee said the purpose for the fingerprints was for comparison with four fingerprints lifted from a window at a jungle villa where Quoirin supposedly exited and disappeared at The Dusun resort here last year.
In addition, Lee said Bukit Aman also sought assistance from Interpol Ireland for Quoirin’s medical history, as her family’s disclosure that she suffered a condition that hampered her mobility did not provide fresh leads here.
Quoirin, a 15-year-old with learning difficulties, disappeared from The Dusun resort last year where she was staying with her London-based family, triggering a 10-day hunt involving helicopters, search dogs and hundreds of searchers.
Her nude body was discovered close to the jungle retreat and an autopsy found that she probably starved and died of internal bleeding after spending about a week in the dense rainforest.
