The garda investigation into the brutal killing of Sligo man Eugene Gillespie has been upgraded to murder, amid an outpouring of grief and anger in the community.

A reward has now been offered for information leading to finding the person or people responsible for the vicious assault.

Mr Gillespie (67) was found on Friday evening, unconscious and lying in the hallway of his home at Old Market Street with his hands tied behind his back. Mr Gillespie, who was known for his love of the Irish language and his interest in vintage cars, history and current affairs, suffered severe injuries as his attacker apparently demanded that he hand over money. His hands were so tightly bound with cable wire that circulation was blocked. He also suffered severe head injuries.

While gardaí would not confirm the postmortem results yesterday “for operational reasons”, the savage nature of the attack and the fact that he may have been there for up to two days has shocked local people. Mr Gillespie’s killing has prompted calls for a clampdown on violence, with one Sligo man offering to organise a reward for information leading to the conviction of his killers.

Declan Foley, an Australia-based friend of Mr Gillespie, said it was “inhuman” to leave anyone in that situation without summoning help. He said the response to his idea of a reward had been astounding.

Garda Supt Mary Murray, who is heading the investigation, confirmed that “quite an amount” of CCTV footage from the area was being analysed with 30 gardaí involved in the investigation.

While it is widely believed that more than one person was involved in the attack, no specific line of inquiry is being pursued.