Published Thursday, 08 November 2012
Aoife Phelan, 30, who went missing two weeks ago. (© An Garda Síochána)
Gardaí said a post mortem confirmed Ms Phelan, who was four months pregnant, died in violent circumstances.
The young woman, who is from Cashel, near Portlaoise, was last seen on Thursday, 25 October at 8.10pm.
She left a house at Colliers View where she had visited friends after finishing her work as an au pair for the day.
On Wednesday at 11am, gardaí discovered a female body while carrying out a planned search in the garden of a house at Timahoe Road in the town.
Later that day, a local man, 24, was re-arrested by gardaí investigating the murder.
He is being detained at Portlaoise Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
The man was originally arrested by gardaí on Monday and was released without charge the following night.