A 17-year-old boy who was kidnapped and dismembered in a gangland killing sent a chilling final text to his mother before his death. Keane Mulready-Woods was lured to a property in Drogheda, Ireland, on January 12, 2020, where he was tortured and beheaded as part of a drugs turf war.
His severed limbs were dumped in a sports bag on a pavement in Moatview, and his head, hands, and feet were later found in a torched car in Dublin. The murder sparked a wave of retaliatory violence, culminating in the assassination of chief suspect Robbie Lawlor, who was shot dead while pursuing a drugs debt.
Keane had become involved as a drugs courier for a local criminal organisation and was under orders to return home before nightfall. On the night of his disappearance, he called his mother to say he would be late and asked her to leave taxi fare. Gardaí believe Lawlor killed Keane because he suspected the teenager was involved in the fatal shooting of his brother-in-law, Richie Carberry, in November 2019.
A source told the Irish Sun: 'Lawlor was obsessed with Mulready-Woods and was determined to take his life because he was convinced he played a major role in Carberry's death. He took his propensity for violence to another level when he dismembered the teenager's remains and then taunted his enemies about it.'
In February 2023, Paul Crosby was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in the killing, while Gerard 'Rocky' Cruise received seven years. A third man, Gerard 'Ged' McKenna, admitted to cleaning up evidence. In a victim impact statement, Keane's mother Elizabeth said: 'No one could imagine the darkness and sadistic evil in our country... I couldn't protect him.'
