A fresh appeal has been made by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains for information on the whereabouts of the remains of Seamus Maguire, killed by the IRA nearly 50 years ago.
Maguire’s case is one of the most mysterious of all of the cases being investigated by the commission since it had been long believed that he had been killed and secretly buried some time in 1973 and 1974.
However, it later emerged that Maguire, from Aghagallon, near Lurgan, Co Armagh, had gone to live in Manchester, only to return to Northern Ireland in 1976. He was then kidnapped and killed by the IRA, and buried somewhere near his home.
Despite the passage of so many decades there is as yet no confirmed information that offers a reason for his killing, and it is not clear which element of the IRA – either Provisional or the Officials – were involved.
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“This is a complex case dating back nearly 50 years, and as ever in these circumstances we do need more information,” said the commission, which said a photograph of Maguire was being released ”to jog someone’s memory”.
It emphasised that all information given to the commission would be treated in the strictest confidence and would never be used in any prosecution against any of those involved in the killing.
