Report into teenager’s murder in Tyrone to be published soon

A REPORT by the Police Ombudsman detailing failings in the original RUC investigation into the murder of teenager Marian Beattie more than 50 years ago is set to be published in the coming weeks.

The Beattie family, from Portadown, have long-campaigned for justice and have vowed to continue their fight until Marian’s killer is brought to account.

Two years ago, on the 50th anniversary of her murder, it emerged that the Police Ombudsman had identified significant shortcomings in the initial police probe.

Further work has since been ongoing to address concerns raised by the family.

The latest developments come as TG4 last week aired a new documentary about the circumstances surrounding the 18-year-old’s murder, as well as the family’s lengthy fight to find out the truth about what happened.

In the documentary, the family revealed they had been informed that five people were involved in her killing on the night of a dance in Seskilgreen in March 1973.

Marian’s body was found at the bottom of the Tullyvar quarry, close to where the dance had taken place. The quarry has since been used as a waste disposal site.

Witnesses in the local community said that a suspect had gone into a local bookmaker’s the following day with the ‘face scraped off him’.

One arrest has taken place in recent years, but no-one has ever been charged in connection with the murder and the family have said that they have no faith in the PSNI investigation.

“The police have really put no effort into it to be honest,” Marian’s brother, Gerard said.

A spokesperson for the Police Ombudsman said that their investigation is complete.

“We are in contact with Marian’s family to confirm arrangements for communicating the outcome,” they added.

The PSNI have said that the investigation into the murder remains open, and that they remain committed to bringing those responsible for the murder to justice.

In 2019, the family issued a fresh appeal for information, saying that they believed the man responsible for her killing is still alive and living in the North.