:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/FABXMO5PEVCPXA2LUYHD2LVSZA.JPG)
Detectives investigating the murder of 32-year-old Co Armagh woman Natalie McNally have arrested a man.
The 46-year-old was arrested in the south Belfast area, police confirmed on Friday morning.
He has been taken to Musgrave police station in the city, where he is currently being questioned by detectives.
Ms McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant, was stabbed to death in her home in Silverwood Green in Lurgan on December 18th.
:quality(70):focal(834x289:844x299)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PJPPDTYPENDOVIB3KAPMNFUCF4.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/FABSDC2PHZAF5C5JV7XTS7YH3Q.jpg)
:quality(70):focal(1245x1555:1255x1565)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/SOT7FEGRCBEGJELWJO2WH5ZY5M.jpg)
:quality(70):focal(4326x1900:4336x1910)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YZFI5G3WSBFAFAXN5427JIERX4.jpg)
She sustained severe head and neck injuries. Her body was not discovered until the following day.
There have been two previous arrests but no-one has been charged.
[ Natalie McNally’s parents: ‘I just keep thinking, did she plead for her life or her baby’s life’ ]
The development comes following pleas by Ms McNally’s family for information that will lead to her killer.
CCTV footage of a man in Ms McNally’s street on the night of her death has been released by police in renewed appeals. He remains the chief suspect but has yet to be identified.
More than 90 detectives are involved in the case, with thousands of hours of CCTV footage being examined.
A £20,000 reward has been offered by Crimestoppers, which receives information anonymously, for anyone who can help lead to a conviction.
Officers investigating the murder seized a car from an address in the Lisburn and Castlereagh area last Saturday. Police also carried out house-to-house inquiries in the Lisburn area last Saturday.
Detectives have said the main line of inquiry was that Ms McNally was killed by someone she knew and was comfortable allowing into her home. Officers have said they do not think there is a risk to other women in the area.
Last Friday, officers searched a number of areas close to Silverwood Green. They also went to a business property in the Armagh and Craigavon area.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/ec6155e4-43b7-4b0c-9ccb-6eafb52ce3b9.png)