A £20,000 reward has been offered for information on a “ruthless and cold-blooded murder” carried out in south Armagh almost 20 years ago.
Martin Conlon (35) was abducted by two masked men and shot in the head in the Keady area on November 7th, 2005.
He was abandoned on the Farnaloy Road where members of the public found him unconscious. He was rushed to Craigavon Area Hospital but died on arrival.
On Tuesday, detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) major investigation team made a renewed appeal on the 18th anniversary of his death, backed up with a financial reward from the independent charity, Crimestoppers.
At an inquest into the murder in 2009, Mr Conlon’s mother, Sally, pleaded for information that would bring her son’s killers to justice.
During the 2009 hearing, a PSNI officer told the coroner said that there were a number of possible motives, including a fallout between criminals and a fallout with dissident republicans. Mr Conlon had been jailed in Dublin in 2001 after pleading guilty to training people in the use of firearms at a Real IRA training camp in Co Meath.
The officer also said there may have been a possible homophobic motive for the attack.
In a statement released on Tuesday, PSNI Det Chief Inspector Anthony Kelly appealed for people to come forward.
“We believe Martin had been bundled into the back of his own car, a silver-coloured Volkswagen Passat, by two masked men. This was in the Greenpark Crest area, just off the Monaghan Road in Armagh, earlier that evening. The car was driven, by one of the men, to the Farnaloy Road where Martin was shot and abandoned.
“This was a calculated, ruthless and cold-blooded murder, which took place in the early evening – a time when members of the public, including children, would have been out and about.
“I have no doubt there are individuals who know who carried out this most cruel of attacks, and I am asking you to search your conscience. Please imagine, for just one minute, the loss and heartache that Martin’s loving family have endured.
“It’s 18 years on, and Martin’s mother and father have sadly since passed away. They died without seeing those responsible for their son’s murder held to account, while those loved ones who remain are left with ongoing sorrow.
“I understand there may be reluctance to come forward. And I am keen to highlight the support of the charity Crimestoppers, who are independent from the police. Crimestoppers are offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Martin’s murder. Information can be given with 100 per cent anonymity.”
