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Two more arrests in Jean McConville murder investigation Police release two men arrested in Jean McConville murder investigation
(about 4 hours later)
Two men have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping, killing and secret burial of Jean McConville, the most famous of Northern Ireland’s “disappeared”. Two men who were arrested on Monday in connection with the kidnapping, killing and secret burial of Jean McConville – the most famous victim of the IRA’s “disappeared” – have been released. The Police Service of Northern Ireland revealed that these latest arrests brought the number of people questioned about the McConville murder to 11.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said a 63-year-old man was held in the Forkhill area of South Armagh and a 64-year-old man was detained in Co Antrim. They are being questioned at the PSNI’s serious crime suite in Antrim. The arrests bring the number of people questioned about McConville’s murder to 11. A PSNI spokesperson said a 63-year-old man was arrested in the Forkhill area of South Armagh while detectives also detained a 64-year-old man in Co Antrim. Both men were questioned inside the PSNI’s serious crime suite in Antrim town, the PSNI spokesperson added.
McConville was dragged at gunpoint from her home in the Divis Flats complex in Belfast in December 1972, driven across the border into the Irish Republic, taken to a remote beach in Co Louth and shot dead. Her body was buried in secret as part of a Belfast IRA policy to “disappear” victims and, in the McConville case, prevent adverse publicity for the republican movement. Later police said that the pair had been released unconditionally.
The IRA accused McConville of being an informer for the British army, which her family have always denied. McConville was one of 16 people whom the IRA disappeared. It was only in 1999 that the IRA admitted killing her, and four years later her remains were found at the beach by a man walking his dog. McConville was dragged at gunpoint from her home by the IRA in front of some of her children in the Divis Flats complex in December 1972. The IRA accused her of being an informer for the British army, which her family have always denied.
In May the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, was questioned over claims made by the former Belfast IRA commander and hunger striker Brendan Hughes that Adams gave the order for McConville to be disappeared. The widow was driven across the border into the Irish Republic, taken to a remote Co Louth beach and then shot dead. Her body was then buried in secret as part of a Belfast IRA policy to “disappear” victims and, in the McConville case, prevent adverse publicity for the republican movement.
Adams has always denied being involved in the murder and insisted he was never in the IRA. McConville was one of 16 people the IRA buried in secret. It was only in 1999 that the IRA finally admitted they had killed her and her remains were found the beach four years later by a man out walking his dog.
Detectives have based much of their investigation on taped interviews given by ex-IRA activists for a Boston College project on the Troubles. These testimonies, in which IRA members spoke openly and freely about their involvement in violence, were meant to be released only when each individual was dead. However, the PSNI pursued the material through the US legal system and seized a number of tapes it believed contain information about McConville’s murder. The most famous figure to be arrested this year in relation to the McConville murder was the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams. He was questioned in May over claims made by former Belfast IRA commander and hunger striker Brendan Hughes that Adams gave the order for McConville to be “disappeared”.
Adams, also Teachta Dála for Louth, has always denied being involved in the McConville murder. He has also insisted he was never in the IRA.
Detectives investigating the McConville case have based much of their evidence on the Boston College Tapes. These are a range of taped interviews from ex-IRA activists for the American university as part of a unique archive of the Troubles.
These testimonies in which IRA members spoke openly and freely about their involvement in violence were only meant to be released when each individual was dead. However the PSNI pursued the material through the US legal system right up to the supreme court and then seized a number of tapes they believed contain information about Jean McConville’s disappearance and death.