Jason Murphy, the former head of major investigations for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), believes he successfully identified the individual responsible for the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. McKee was shot and killed in Derry on 18 April 2019, with the New IRA claiming responsibility for her death.
Murphy, who oversaw homicide investigations including McKee's murder, stated that he is confident the shooter "could only have been one person". However, the suspect was not charged after being arrested, as the prosecuting barrister felt a guilty verdict was unlikely based on the evidence available for court. No eyewitness would confirm the suspect's identity.
In July, more than seven years after McKee's death, a Belfast judge delivered a verdict after a 25-month trial. Three men were found not guilty of her murder among a series of mostly failed prosecutions. The judgment criticised the prosecution's case, particularly the lack of evidence identifying the defendants in video footage.
Murphy believes a culture of silence in the community, partly due to mistrust of the police and fear of violent repercussions, is denying justice to McKee's family. He noted that threatening graffiti appeared in Derry after her death, warning of consequences for providing information to the police.