Missing Irish millionare turns up eight months later, eats curry chips

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The Something Awful Forums > Main > General Bullshit > Missing Irish millionare turns up eight months later, eats curry chips

Beep Street: Aug 22, 2006

This is a totally bizzare story.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/201...kidnapped-found
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...l#axzz2JlquuIPZ

The Guardian posted:

The dishevelled and emaciated figure standing in the middle of the road did not look like a millionaire. Barefoot, with long hair and an unkempt beard, the man looked more like a vagrant than the missing property tycoon he was.

When Catherine Vallely stopped her car after spotting him in the middle of the road, she had initially thought the outline of the scrawny figure ahead of her was a traffic cone. "He had red trousers that made me think it was a cone in the middle of the road," she said.

But this roadside debris turned out to be Kevin McGeever, an Irish property developer who went missing more than eight months ago and had not been heard from since June last year, when he was reported missing in County Galway by his partner, Siobhan O'Callaghan.

When Vallely and her partner Peter Rehill picked him up on the Leitrim-Cavan border, he had a one-word insult – reported to be "thief" – carved into his forehead. He told them that three men had thrown him out of a van.

They took the 68-year-old to the local Garda Síochána, where he explained that he was abducted by three masked and armed men from his mansion in rural Galway back in May.

McGeever told officers that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom for his safe release but he did not know whether it had been paid.

The property developer said he could not remember what had happened to him in the meantime but, as he was being released, he was given a mobile phone and warned to keep it with him at all times.

The gardai are now trying to establish whether he had been held across the border in Northern Ireland before he was dumped in County Leitrim.

Vallely was on her way home to Ballinamore with her partner Peter Rehill on Tuesday night when they spotted him in the middle of the road.

"When the man got into our car, he told us he had no shoes on," Vallely told the Irish Independent.

They brought him straight to Ballinamore garda station. The couple said he was unable to tell what month of the year it was or what happened to him during his capitivity.

"A female garda immediately invited him in for a cup of tea. As he was eating tea and biscuits, he asked her if she had any more. He said he hadn't eaten for God knows how long.

"He had a pair of enormous eyes in a very thin face and his cheekbones stuck out. He was rubbing his beard with fingers that had long nails. He was very well educated, well spoken and polite and articulate.

"He was just skin and bones," Vallely added.

She said that soon afterwards a female police officer bought him a bag of curry chips.

Aftewards, the millionaire was taken to Mullingar hospital, where he was treated for malnutrition and dehydration. It is understood that he had lost about five stone – a dramatic drop in weight given his former weight of 16st.

Sources said investigating officers had as yet been unable to determine if McGeever's story was true or not.

One Craughwell resident said most people in the village had never seen Mr McKeever in their lives as he lived in a mansion "behind locked gates".

"We had no idea who he was until this week, I don't know anyone who knew of him," she said.

"Apparently there was a missing poster in the local garda station, but if a person who was a developer goes missing, people presume they are all living the high life.

"It's just the most bizarre thing ever. The mystery thickens."

McGeever originally married in Australia decades ago.

During the Celtic Tiger boom, McGeever ran an international property business selling luxury homes in Dubai to rich Irish and British clients.

He is currently listed in legal proceedings before the high court in a case being taken against KMM Properties, which began in 2009.

Before his ordeal, McGeever lived in a swish property that was christened "Nirvana", and during the boom years of the Irish economy was estimated to be worth well over €3m.

The two security gates decorated with stained-glass features guard the entrance. The property is surrounded by immaculately groomed lawns, a cobble-lock driveway, a separate guesthouse and a glasshouse.

As part of his business selling luxury properties in the Gulf, McGeever set up an office on Mullingar's Ashe Road, where he had staff working for him. He also conducted property deals at the Mullingar Park Hotel, and those who encountered him took to calling him "The Yank" due to a pronounced American accent.

McGeever's initials, KMM, were branded across a EC120 helicopter in which he travelled the country.

When not taking to the air, he had a fleet of high-range vehicles to use – often with personalised number plates: a black SL55 AMG with tinted windows, a grey Porsche 911 GT2, and two H2 Hummers.

Yet despite his wealth, the tycoon liked to mix with the locals, often drinking in a main street pub in Craughwell in County Galway not far from his mansion.

McGeever is the first multi-millionaire to have been kidnapped in the Irish Republic for many years. In the 1970s and 80s the Provisional IRA pioneered the strategy of kidnapping wealthy businessmen to raise finances from ransoms. In 1983, the IRA kidnapped supermarket boss Don Tidey and demanded a ransom of 5m Irish punt. An Irish police officer, Gary Sheehan, and an Irish soldier, Patrick Kelly, were killed in a security operation to rescuse Tidey.

This chap owed money after a high court ruling a few years ago. Most property developers in Ireland have all lost millions of euros since the economy went down the toilet so it seems a lot of people are taking this story with a pinch of salt. Apparently he requested the curry chips (fries) as it is the only way he can eat chips. This seems a bit fussy for someone who had been starved for months.

My money is on this man being Irelands canoe man.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 19:35

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# ? May 21, 2013 10:34

Red Bones: Aug 9, 2012

Being severely malnourishedand having "thief" carved into your forehead is going a little far to dodge debts, especially when he just turns up later. I mean, he's still got to pay them. If he wanted to avoid paying any money back he would've gone abroad, wouldn't he? My money's on him being involved in some illegal business that bit him in the rear end.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 19:51

Paradox Personified: Mar 15, 2010; SoroScrew

I just learned a great new phrase; The mystery thickens. I think Edmond Dantes came up with that one?

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:01

sebzilla: Mar 17, 2009; Kid's blasting everything in sight with that new-fangled musket.

No sympathy for a rich man wearing red trousers.

http://lookatmyfuckingredtrousers.blogspot.co.uk/

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:01

whiteshark12: Oct 21, 2010; How that gun even works underwater I don't know, but I bet the answer is magic.

Calling it now, he turns into Irish Iron Man.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:09

Hogburto: Sep 26, 2005; BASELESS ACCUSATIONS

whiteshark12 posted:

Calling it now, he turns into Irish Iron Man.

Doesn't Tony Stark have enough of a drinking problem already?

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:14

XenophobicAirport: Dec 15, 2007; Please have your weapons prepared at the terminal.

Bloody Leprechauns are getting more and more aggressive in our post-financial crisis world.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:21

Beep Street: Aug 22, 2006

Red Bones posted:

Being severely malnourishedand having "thief" carved into your forehead is going a little far to dodge debts, especially when he just turns up later.

I could easily carve something into my forehead.
He certainly lost lots of weightbut he was sixteen stone to begin with and I'd imagine it's easy to malnourish yourself if you're having a mental breakdown. It doesn't add up how he remembered being kidnapped and remembered being released but could not recall anything in between.

Red Bones posted:

If he wanted to avoid paying any money back he would've gone abroad, wouldn't he? My money's on him being involved in some illegal business that bit him in the rear end.

It's hard to disappear abroad these days thanks to European law. There are rumours of his involvement withe russian mafia but I can't see them keeping hold of someone for eight months, it seems far too much effort. Why they'd dump him in Leitrim is a total mystery. Leitrim is the least populated county in Ireland.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:23

Hogburto: Sep 26, 2005; BASELESS ACCUSATIONS

Beep Street posted:

I could easily carve something into my forehead.

It's been a while since I've seen a mod challenge.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:32

treiz01: Jan 2, 2008; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Hogburto posted:

It's been a while since I've seen a mod challenge.

I dunno if anything will top the lost fingat.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:41

Gorillian Dollars: Jan 22, 2012; We are selling to willing buyers at the current fair market price, even if we know it has no value.

Beep Street posted:

I could easily carve something into my forehead.

Oh now you are just teasing, show us!

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:43

Throwdini: Aug 2, 2006

Has anybody actually had words cut into their skin? Every time I remember hearing about that happening in the news it turns out to be a hoax.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:45

Paradox Personified: Mar 15, 2010; SoroScrew

treiz01 posted:

I dunno if anything will top the lost fingat.

I dunno, going from blonde hair to black hair with two pictures is something an enterprising goon can improve on.

I like how eight months and less than half your previous weight doesn't disqualify him as being a creative con. This guy will go places!

Gorillian Dollars posted:

Oh now you are just teasing, show us!

Casting my vote for this.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:50

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

Here's the US version of the evade creditors cunning plan:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...430-504083.html

# ? Feb 2, 2013 20:59

Migishu: Oct 22, 2005; I'll eat your fucking eyeballs if you're not careful

sebzilla posted:

No sympathy for a rich man wearing red trousers.

http://lookatmyfuckingredtrousers.blogspot.co.uk/

I kinda want a pair of red trousers now. Thanks for this.

Beep Street posted:

I could easily carve something into my forehead.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:11

Beep Street: Aug 22, 2006

Paradox Personified posted:

I like how eight months and less than half your previous weight doesn't disqualify him as being a creative con. This guy will go places!

He didn't lose half his weight, he was originally sixteen stone and lost five stone whilst he was missing.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:12

lorn Wayne: Jan 7, 2006; Take your, heh, SHOT at world domination

Beep Street posted:

He didn't lose half his weight, he was originally sixteen stone and lost five stone whilst he was missing.

So...this is just an ARG for his 'How I lost weight and you can too!!' ebook that will sell millions of copies and get him out of financial trouble? I knew it.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:14

withak: Jan 15, 2003; F != m * a

Was "thief" carved in backwards?

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:14

toxic8aker: Jul 25, 2011; corporate
so powerful and delicious

Soo did he still own his company and property? Because after 8 months I can see family and associates coming out of the woodworks to take anything not bolted down; bills, taxes and legal proceedings have to add up in such a time too.

Beep Street posted:

I could easily carve something into my forehead.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:15

I Own Soulz: Jan 2, 2008; Taste my Ball of Hope, foul dragon!

That's about 224 lbs down to 154 lbs, for all us Americans. 1 stone is 14 lbs. I still don't get why you would describe weight in stones instead of kg at least.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:22

Wario In Real Life: Nov 9, 2009

Beep Street posted:

It doesn't add up how he remembered being kidnapped and remembered being released but could not recall anything in between.

Hmm yeah you're right. Glad a psychological expert weighed in on this one. Close the case boys. This one's over.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:38

Beep Street: Aug 22, 2006

I Own Soulz posted:

I still don't get why you would describe weight in stones instead of kg at least.

Whilst I agree the metric system makes far more sense us Irish people tend to think of a persons weight in stones.

Carving "use metric" into my brain right now.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:38

The pHo: Jun 10, 2006; BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

withak posted:

Was "thief" carved in backwards?

Why do you ask?

# ? Feb 2, 2013 21:43

Paradox Personified: Mar 15, 2010; SoroScrew

⇪ Aw, dammit!

Come on. Well, beaten, and duplicate image removed.

Beep Street posted:

He didn't lose half his weight, he was originally sixteen stone and lost five stone whilst he was missing.

5 < 8. Eight is more than five. Five, being less than eight. Eight is %50, otherwise known as 'half' of sixteen. Please tell me where I'm wrong and why this man concocted such an elaborate ruse for debt which he still owes.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:06

Fatkraken: Jun 23, 2005; Fun-time is over.

Paradox Personified posted:

⇪ Aw, dammit! Come on. Well, beaten, and duplicate image removed.

5 < 8. Eight is more than five. Five, being less than eight. Eight is %50, otherwise known as 'half' of sixteen. Please tell me where I'm wrong and why this man concocted such an elaborate ruse for debt which he still owes.

Your wording was very unclear, most people would read it as him turning up WEIGHING less than half his previous weight, not having LOST less than half his previous weight

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:12

skooma512: Feb 8, 2012

Beep Street posted:

It doesn't add up how he remembered being kidnapped and remembered being released but could not recall anything in between.

You only do two days. The day you get in and the day you get out.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:16

A Buttery Pastry: Sep 4, 2011

Fatkraken posted:

Your wording was very unclear, most people would read it as him turning up WEIGHING less than half his previous weight, not having LOST less than half his previous weight

Yeah, losing less than half your previous weight is something you do whenever you take a dump.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:22

Bolian Blues: Nov 3, 2008

The first story I read about this they didn't say what the "one word insult" was so I kind of assumed it was something much stronger than "thief".

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:38

thepaladin4488: Oct 28, 2010

Bolian Blues posted:

The first story I read about this they didn't say what the "one word insult" was so I kind of assumed it was something much stronger than "thief".

Heh, must've read the same thing I did. Was thinking something like:

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:45

AKA Pseudonym: May 16, 2004; A dashing and sophisticated young man

He was malnourished one or another so what is the curry fries thing supposed to prove?

Sometimes people act weird when they've been held hostage and starved for eight months, it could be that just as easily as anything else.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:53

Sucrose: Dec 9, 2009

The pHo posted:

Why do you ask?

That story is why the media needs to make the distinction between "carved" and "scratched."

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:55

cowofwar: Jul 30, 2002

Maybe he doesn't "remember" the intervening period because his captors told him to not say anything or they'd be back.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 22:59

School Nickname: Apr 23, 2010

Yeah my dad and brother are also taking this story with a pinch of salt. They think it's a ploy to garner sympathy in court, so that the banks who want his property will look like complete assholes. Or he could have been a miserly poo poo dealing with shady subcontractors. Plenty of mountain people in certain parts of Ireland who will pull this kind of stunt. It's even rumored to happen with disgraced billionaires, who after losing control of their business might instigate arson on property of the new CEO of their empire. Of course it may also be the misguided people of Cavan/Derryglin, or whoever else worships the Sean Quinn as an avatar of the God of Job Creation.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 23:02

The Bible: May 8, 2010

Sucrose posted:

That story is why the media needs to make the distinction between "carved" and "scratched."

What is the story here?

# ? Feb 2, 2013 23:13

Hogburto: Sep 26, 2005; BASELESS ACCUSATIONS

The Bible posted:

What is the story here?

I guess he thinks either that criminals are getting unfairly portrayed in the media or that the millionaire's disfigurement might be less than we're being led to believe.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 23:15

Das Boo: Jun 9, 2011; Wizards only, fools.
Keep it tight.

This just seems like a really bizarre way to go about garnering a little judicial sympathy. Why wouldn't he, say, take a holiday in Asia and "disappear" from there? It'd be a pretty easy thing to do, especially considering the hometown locals are claiming no one knew who the hell this guy was. And if you've got money in just about any third world country, you're going to easily be able to buy a new identity and life.

Maybe he left his collection of vintage porcelain kitties at home and finally decided he couldn't go on without them.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 23:36

BAKA FLOCKA FLAME: Oct 9, 2012; If you see me posting in the trans megathread, report me so I can be banned! Thank you!

love, the management

sebzilla posted:

http://lookatmyfuckingredtrousers.blogspot.co.uk/

I don't understand, is this supposed to be pro or anti?

# ? Feb 2, 2013 23:44

Blast of Confetti: Apr 21, 2008

BAKA FLOCKA FLAME posted:

I don't understand, is this supposed to be pro or anti?

quote:

Toff (77)
Hipster (25)
Lunatic (15)
Notable wearer (15)
In McDonalds (1)

The labels seem to give it away.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 23:48

Gnack: Apr 5, 2007; woof.

Hogburto posted:

I guess he thinks either that criminals are getting unfairly portrayed in the media or that the millionaire's disfigurement might be less than we're being led to believe.

Also it's unlikely someone would carve something into their own face, but scratch something? Perhaps, if they had the incentive to.

# ? Feb 2, 2013 23:50

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# ? May 21, 2013 10:34

Blazing Ownager: Jun 2, 2007; I ain't got time to bleed.

Red Bones posted:

Being severely malnourishedand having "thief" carved into your forehead is going a little far to dodge debts, especially when he just turns up later. I mean, he's still got to pay them. If he wanted to avoid paying any money back he would've gone abroad, wouldn't he? My money's on him being involved in some illegal business that bit him in the rear end.

Given his property career and the "THIEF" sign, I bet he was another rear end in a top hat banker that took someone's home, money or both. Someone that actually did all the things people always bullshit about wanting to do to rich assholes. Just a guess, but it sure seems the most logical.

Gnack posted:

Also it's unlikely someone would carve something into their own face, but scratch something? Perhaps, if they had the incentive to.

It's happened before. Anyone have a link to the story of that woman who wanted to get sympathy by writing something in her head, only she was so dumb she did it in a mirror and put it on backwards?

Blazing Ownager fucked around with this message at Feb 2, 2013 around 23:54

# ? Feb 2, 2013 23:52

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