Retired Detective Recalls Chilling Interrogation of Graham Dwyer and the Fight for Justice for Elaine O’Hara

 In an exclusive interview with The Irish Mirror, recently retired Garda Detective Sergeant Alan Woods has spoken publicly for the first time about the disturbing behaviour of convicted murderer Graham Dwyer during his interrogation — and the complex investigation that led to justice for Elaine O’Hara.

Mr. Woods, a central figure in the murder probe, revealed that Dwyer displayed brazen contempt during questioning, at one point making an obscene gesture in response to being confronted with his disturbing sexual obsession with violence. The incident occurred shortly after Dwyer’s arrest on October 17, 2013 — a month after Elaine O’Hara’s remains were discovered in Killakee Woods, igniting one of Ireland’s most high-profile murder investigations.

“He became visibly agitated when I read out content from his text messages to Elaine,” Woods recounted. “When I challenged him about his fixation with bloodletting and stabbing women, he pointed to his groin and said, ‘Do I have an erection? What do you think?’ He was clearly angry and attempting to intimidate.”

The texts in question formed a crucial part of the case. They exposed Dwyer’s escalating fantasies and his manipulation of Elaine, a vulnerable woman living with mental health challenges. Woods, who along with Detective Garda Jim Mulligan interviewed Dwyer over a nearly 24-hour period, said the killer underestimated investigators from the outset.

“He thought he was smarter than us — that much was clear. But that arrogance worked against him. He was eager to talk about his life, and we used that to corroborate his messages to Elaine with real-life events: buying a bicycle, becoming a father again, taking a pay cut. All of it helped us build the case.”

Graham Dwyer, a Cork native residing in Foxrock, Dublin, was found guilty in April 2015 of murdering Elaine O’Hara in the Dublin Mountains in August 2012. Prosecutors argued successfully that Dwyer, who had a fascination with knives and violent pornography, lured Elaine to her death for his own gratification. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, a conviction he continues to deny.

Speculation at the time linked Dwyer to other unsolved crimes — including the 1999 murder of 17-year-old Raonaid Murray — due to a chilling reference in a text to Elaine. However, Mr. Woods confirmed that Dwyer has been ruled out as a suspect in that case.

“From my analysis of the text messages and his behaviour, I firmly believe Elaine was his only victim. He was clearly building up to the murder — this wasn’t the act of someone who had done it before,” Woods said. “But I also believe he would have killed again. If we hadn’t caught him, the fantasy would have returned, and someone else would have been at risk.”

In the years since his conviction, Dwyer has repeatedly challenged the verdict, including legal appeals concerning the admissibility of mobile phone data. All efforts to overturn the decision have failed — most recently in the Supreme Court.

Despite his repeated denials and legal manoeuvres, Woods says Dwyer never fully grasped the strength of the case against him.

“He didn’t believe he’d be arrested, and even after he was, he was certain he’d get bail. He told people the forensic evidence would clear him. Even after conviction, he was confident the civil case would get him out. That arrogance was constant.”

Reflecting on the impact of the case, Woods described a moment of profound emotion when the investigative team met Elaine’s family following the guilty verdict.

“There were tears and hugs. It was important for us to bring them that justice — not because it could bring Elaine back, but because it showed that her life mattered, that she was a decent, innocent person who did nothing to deserve what happened to her.”

Woods, who keeps in close contact with Elaine’s father Frank O’Hara and the family, says he continues to think of Elaine — particularly each August, around the anniversary of her death.

“She was a kind, thoughtful person trying to live her life independently,” he said. “She deserved so much more.”