Fresh appeal for information on killing of Lyra McKee, a year after her death

The detective leading the investigation into the murder of Lyra McKee in Derry a year ago has made a renewed appeal for information ahead of the first anniversary of her death on Saturday.

The 29-year-old journalist was shot by dissident republicans as she watched a riot in the Creggan area of the city, and died shortly afterwards.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said the New IRA was responsible.

Det Supt Jason Murphy said he would offer anonymity to anyone who wished to talk to police. "All I am looking for is a conversation," he said. "That's it. I know that individuals may be struggling with their conscience, either about footage they have or information they know.

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“We can help with that. Talk to us. Ease your conscience and help us resolve a small part of the nightmare that the McKee family live through every single day.”

He also made a specific appeal regarding the gun which killed Ms McKee, which has not been recovered.

The PSNI’s Major Investigation Team has sent letters to households in Creggan appealing to the community “to reach into its conscience and tell us what it knows.”

Det Supt Murphy said that Ms McKee’s mother had died recently “without seeing justice for her daughter”, and while the appeal for information “is being distributed by the police, it is also a direct appeal from the McKee family for help in getting justice for Lyra.”

One man has been charged with her murder, and a second has been charged with offences connected to the riot which preceded it.

In his letter to residents, Det Supt Murphy gave his “sincere thanks to all those who have helped to date.

“A huge amount of work has been done and massive amounts of community help has enabled us to piece together the events of 18 April 2019 and gain a clear understanding of the roles played by those who were involved,” he said.

“Lyra’s murder was not committed in isolation, nor did it involve only one person. The events that led up to Lyra being shot, and the events afterwards, are equally important. I am asking the community to reach into its conscience and tell us what it knows.

“Lyra’s family cannot begin the grieving process without the information about Lyra’s murder that they deserve. Anybody in their position would want the same.”

He said that a year after McMcKee’s death, he was still seeking the evidence “to bring every single person who was involved that night to justice”, and he could not do so without the help of local people.

Det Supt Murphy made a specific appeal for mobile phone footage or photographs from anyone who was present the night Ms McKee was murdered.

He also said he wanted to speak to “anyone who was present and who can identify those involved in the disorder”, or who could “provide first-hand evidence relating to the events which preceded or followed Lyra’s murder”, and that he wanted to recover the gun that killed Ms McKee.

The public portal at https://mipp.police.uk has been reactivated to allow members of the public to report information about the murder or upload photos or videos.

Det Supt Murphy can also be contacted via the portal, or via email jason.murphy@psni.pnn.police.uk.