The brother of a journalist, who was shot dead as he walked home with his wife, says if he did not continue to fight for answers around the murder “the guilt would kill me”.
Earlier this week marked the 25th anniversary of the 2001 murder of investigative reporter Martin O’Hagan.
The 51-year-old died in Lurgan, County Armagh, and was shot when walking home from a pub – a killing that was claimed by the Red Hand Defenders, a cover name used by both the Loyalist Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Association.
But while his murder received widespread condemnation, and numerous charges that were subsequently withdrawn, no one has ever been convicted.
Those close to Martin have said pledges from police and government officials to find those responsible have gone unfulfilled, and they remain frustrated that his death has not received the same recognition as other high profile killings.
Martin was the first person to be murdered for being a journalist in Northern Ireland since the outbreak of the Troubles in 1969.
As a reporter for the Sunday World newspaper, he had built a reputation for stories which exposed paramilitaries and drug dealers operating in Northern Ireland.
He had infuriated County Armagh paramilitary bosses, particularly murdered LVF leader Billy Wright who he labelled ‘King Rat’, by exposing crime and drugs rackets.
His brother Fintan told News NI there was “talk that he was digging into collusion, digging into the finances of the LVF but there was never any proof”.
“At the time I believed they did it because Martin made a mistake moving up there on the outskirts of Mourneview, a loyalist estate.
“Martin said at the time: ‘the war is over’. It’s all very well wishful thinking but at the end of the day it was a foolish thing to do. He made it easy for them and that’s a very hard thing to live with,” Fintan said.
“Within a short period of time the police were assuring us they were going to catch them” and “we, like fools, believed them”.