Man Found Beheaded, Dismembered, Partially Burned In Kildare Woods After Hanging Out With New Pal

An Irish man stood trial on Wednesday, Oct. 13, for the gruesome 2016 murder of his friend, whom the prosecution claims was stabbed to death and decapitated before the victim's body was buried in the woods.

Stephen Penrose, a 38-year-old man from Dublin, Ireland, stands accused of killing Philip Finnegan on Aug. 10, 2016, where he attempted to cover it up by burning and burying the body in Rahin Woods in Kildare, according to RTE Ireland.

Finnegan and Penrose were new friends, with the latter reportedly meeting the former's mother just before the alleged murder occurred. On the day that Finnegan first disappeared, he told his mom that he was meeting up with Penrose for an undisclosed reason.

Finnegan went missing on Aug. 10. Penrose was found later that day asking for medical assistance from a police officer, as his left wrist was bleeding significantly. He was seen on CCTV footage traveling near Rahin Woods with Finnegan, and him leaving in a different way an hour later alone. The route, which usually takes ten minutes, had officers suspicious because of the long gap between the two surveillance footages.

He attempted to blame the killing on an unidentified traveler, saying that they were both attacked and stabbed, and he tried to lead the police away from Rahin Woods. However, on Sept. 2, Finnegan’s body was found buried in a shallow grave, with evidence scattered around the scene, according to the Irish Times.

Among the evidence found was a glove containing a blood sample with Penrose’s DNA.

Penrose has pleaded not guilty to the case and has dispersed his legal team from the case as he attempts to defend himself. It is not known how he will try to defend himself from the evidence that the prosecution brought forward.