Teen killed and chopped up in gangland murder sent tragic last message to his mum

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Keane Mulready-Woods, 17, sent a final text to his mother before he was abducted and killed in a gangland murder in Drogheda, Co. Louth

A 17-year-old who was kidnapped and subjected to a horrific dismemberment sent a chilling final text message to his mother before his savage gangland killing.

The shocking murder of Keane Mulready-Woods in 2020 sent shockwaves across Ireland, leaving the entire country stunned. The teenager, who had become embroiled in a drugs turf war in Drogheda, was lured to a property on January 12 where he endured horrific torture before being decapitated.

His severed limbs were thrown from a moving vehicle in a sports bag onto a pavement in Moatview. Several days later, his head, hands and feet were discovered in a burnt-out car in Dublin.

Keane’s murder triggered a wave of retaliatory attacks, which ultimately led to the death of prime suspect Robbie Lawlor, who was shot dead while pursuing a drugs debt.

Prior to his disappearance, Keane had been in contact with his mother, letting her know he would be home late and asking her to leave taxi fare out for him.

Keane, who had become involved in running drugs for a local criminal gang, was under strict orders to return before dark and had been adhering to these rules, according to the Irish Independent.

At the time of his death, he was out on licence following a conviction for intimidating a local mother over her child’s drugs debts owed to the gang.

It is thought that Lawlor murdered Keane because he suspected the teenager had played a role in the fatal shooting of his brother-in-law Richie Carberry at his home in November 2019.

Gardaí believe Lawlor escalated to torturing the teenager, despite initially claiming he would simply carry out a “punishment beating” over a minor drugs debt.

A source said: “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.”

The ruthless 36-year-old had been connected to several killings and racked up hundreds of criminal convictions prior to his fatal shooting.

Last December, he walked free from court after being cleared of attempting to murder the mother of his former partner’s new boyfriend.

Just weeks after his acquittal on the attempted murder charge, he was attacked outside a gym by an associate of one of his alleged murder victims.

Lawlor’s gym belongings were seized and his rivals posted photographs of themselves sporting his flip-flops.

It is widely understood that Keane was present during the assault – and an enraged Lawlor allegedly swore revenge.

Among the images circulated following Keane’s murder was one bearing the chilling caption: “Won’t be robbing a man’s flip-flops again.”

In February 2023, local criminal Paul Crosby was handed a 10-year prison sentence for his role in Keane’s murder, while his associate Gerard “Rocky” Cruise received seven years behind bars.

A third man, Gerard ‘Ged’ McKenna, admitted to cleaning up and disposing of evidence from the scene.

In a harrowing victim impact statement read out on behalf of Keane’s devastated mother Elizabeth, she said: “No one could imagine the darkness and sadistic evil in our country I can hear him calling ‘Mam, Mam’ – and the haunting nightmares live forever with us. To lose my child, my son, my baby in a most inhumane, barbaric death is shocking,” adding that a piece of her died as well. “I couldn’t protect him.”