Poignant ceremony marks 50 years since Aughnacloy murder

A POIGNANT ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the murder of Marian Beattie near Aughnacloy has taken place at the site of the former dance-hall where her body was discovered.

The 18-year-old from Portadown was murdered after leaving a dance outside the town on March 31, 1973. Her partly unclothed body was found early the following morning at the bottom of an 80 feet quarry face. The site is now occupied by the Tullyvar Waste Disposal facility and on Saturday, family, friends and local people attended a special ceremony marking Marian’s life and tragic death.

It came as Marian’s brothers urged anyone with information about her murder to come forward. They vowed to continue their fight to bring the person responsible for her killing to justice.

“You can protect someone so far but you cannot protect them from evil,” her brother, Isadore said. “People think that 50 years is a long time, but if you’re lying in bed at night thinking it just seems like yesterday.

“It doesn’t make it any easier 50 years on. Time is supposed to be a great healer. In a case like this, time doesn’t heal nothing.”

Another brother, Gerard, said that people know who killed his sister on that night in 1973.

“The people who were at the dance knew who the person was and I don’t know how they can sit in the house with their conscience. All we want you to do is go to the police,” he said.

It is expected that a report by the Police Ombudsman will be published in the coming weeks and that the Ombudsman will meet with the family.

In a statement, the Ombudsman said that ‘careful consideration’ has been given to the outcome of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder.

“The report is now in its final stages. The Ombudsman hopes to meet with Marian’s family in the coming weeks to communicate her findings,” they said in a statement.

The PSNI has said that the investigation into the murder remains open.