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

Investigators from the "Runaway Joe" project spent two and a half days in Andorra this week searching for traces of Joseph "Joe" Maloney, the US fugitive accused of poisoning his wife in 1967, but left empty-handed despite visits to institutions and conversations with locals.

The team, which arrived from Ireland on Wednesday and departed Thursday, showed photos of Maloney—also known as Michael "Mick" O’Shea—and described him as exceptionally tall, around 1.90 meters, with a much shorter second wife, Maria. They suggested Maria would have handled daily tasks like shopping or doctor visits while caring for Maloney, who reportedly suffered dementia and died between 2004 and 2007, possibly in a local care home.

No one recognized the images, prompting speculation that Maloney used yet another alias in the Principat. "Maybe he had a different name," said Richard Fitzpatrick, one of the investigators, who noted that responses to such stories often emerge a week or two later. The group, including Tim Desmond, Liam O’Brien, Nicoline Greer, and producer Pavel Barter, met with Andorran police and institutions, which offered assistance but cited data protection rules.

Police informed them that without a formal international request—such as from Irish authorities via established cooperation channels—they could not search records for specific individuals. Several funeral homes agreed to check archives voluntarily for tall men with Anglo-Saxon-sounding names around the death period, though results remain pending.

The probe builds on earlier anecdotal evidence from a friend’s brother placing Maloney’s arrival around 2003 with Maria. Previous efforts traced his path from Rochester, New York, through Ireland, East Germany, and Northern Cyprus. Irish judge Gillian Hussey’s 2022 memoirs and an RTÉ podcast revived interest, followed by Barter’s book Runaway Joe: A Murder, a Hidden Identity, a Six-Decade Manhunt. A TV adaptation is in development.

Fitzpatrick said returning to Andorra depends on leads emerging, particularly from police or funeral records. The team urged anyone with information to contact pavelbarter@gmail.com or +353 87 247 3579.