AN inquest into the deaths of Co Tyrone serial conwoman Julia Holmes and her partner Thomas Ruttle has heard they tried to kill themselves but the precise causes of death cannot be determined.
The badly decomposed bodies of Holmes (63), originally from Castlederg, and Mr Ruttle (56) were found in the upstairs bedroom of the home they shared at Boolaglass in Askeaton, Co Limerick, on May 18 last year.
At the inquest in Newcastle West on Monday, State Pathologist Marie Cassidy said although the causes of death cannot be confirmed, no third party was involved and the circumstances of the deaths were consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning.
The bodies were found by thieves who broke into the house to steal scrap metal. A rifle and shotgun were found in the bedroom but neither had been fired.
Several handwritten letters found in the kitchen of the house outlined instructions for people finding the bodies.
Prof Cassidy said a post mortem showed no evidence of gunshot wounds or any trauma.
Due to the length of time the bodies had lain in the bedroom, estimated to be several weeks, samples could not be analysed for carbon monoxide.
Coroner Antoinette Simon said based on the evidence and circumstances of the discovery of the bodies, that verdicts of suicide were the only option.
The jury of seven men returned verdicts in accordance with the medical evidence of asphyxia-type death due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Holmes had been deported back to the north after serving more than two years in a Texan prison for defrauding people of almost half a million dollars.
On her return she went on to defraud others before moving to Limerick and establishing a new identity.
At the time of her death she was wanted by the PSNI after skipping bail while facing fraud charges totalling £18,000 in Co Down.
After developing a relationship with Mr Ruttle, a bee-keeper, she set up a business selling honey products and preserves under the names Irish Bee Sensations and Croein's Kitchen and even won a prize at the Irish Food Awards.
However, the business began crumbling amid claims Holmes was repackaging shop-bought honey.
The couple were also being pursued by local construction companies that were owed thousands of euro after carrying out renovations on the Boologlass farmhouse
