Runaway Joe Investigators Search Andorra for US Fugitive Traces, Find None

Investigators from the "Runaway Joe" project spent three days in Andorra last week searching for evidence of US fugitive Joseph "Joe" Maloney, also known as Michael "Mick" O’Shea, but found no leads despite showing photos and consulting locals.

The Irish journalists, including Richard Fitzpatrick and Pavel Barter, ended their on-the-ground probe on Friday after visiting care homes, querying death records and speaking with residents across the Principat. They described O’Shea as very tall—around 1.89 meters—with a long beard, long hair and a distinctive abdominal scar. His partner Maria, who was much shorter, reportedly cared for him amid suspected dementia before his death nearly two decades ago.

Data protection rules blocked access to official records without a formal international request, forcing reliance on visual recognition and voluntary checks. "Unfortunately, we found nothing," Barter said, though he praised support from local journalists. No one recalled the couple, who may have lived just two years in remote rural or mountain areas, possibly under a third alias. The trail stems from Maria's account to a friend that her husband died in Andorra.

Fitzpatrick noted that Maloney, wanted since the 1960s for allegedly poisoning his first wife, had used multiple identities during his flight from Rochester, New York, via Ireland, East Germany and Northern Cyprus. Earlier tips placed his arrival around 2003.

The effort ties into renewed focus from Irish judge Gillian Hussey’s 2022 memoirs, an RTÉ podcast and Barter’s book Runaway Joe: A Murder, a Hidden Identity, a Six-Decade Manhunt, with a TV version underway. The team now awaits potential tips and plans to continue from Ireland. Contact: pavelbarter@gmail.com or +353 87 247 3579.