The PSNI was last night refusing to comment on continuing speculation that Arthur McElhill is the chief suspect for Tuesday morning's fire that claimed his life, and that of his partner and five young children.
After three days the remains of Mr McElhill, his partner Lorraine McGovern, and children, Caroline, Seán, Bellina, Clodagh and James, were last night finally recovered from the family home at Lammy Crescent, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
After a short prayer service outside the house, two white Ford Transit mortuary vans brought the remains of the family to Belfast for a postmortem.
Detailed forensic examination of the scene is to continue with a special expert called in from England to assist with what is now a murder inquiry.
While some reports have named 39-year-old Mr McElhill, originally from Co Fermanagh, as the main suspect - and in some cases, the only suspect - the PSNI continues to insist that it is carrying out an investigation into seven murders, including his.
Against the background of considerable speculation about the fire, the PSNI also warned the media to be extremely careful in how it reported the tragedy.
Police continue to say they are following several lines of inquiry, while also not denying that one of these lines of investigation is that Mr McElhill was responsible.
Some local people say that there was a dispute involving Mr McElhill and Ms McGovern at about 3am on Tuesday morning, less than two hours before the house was engulfed in flames. There were also local reports that Mr McElhill, a farm worker, had been suffering from depression.
It was last night confirmed by the Northern Ireland Courts Service that Mr McElhill was convicted of indecent assault of a female at Omagh Crown Court in April 1998. The conviction related to an assault in September the previous year.
There were reporting restrictions on the case, indicating that the victim may have been a minor. He was sentenced to three years in prison, and two years' probation. It is understood he served 18 months in prison.
There have been no allegations that this conviction was a factor in Tuesday morning's fire.
The fire was caused after petrol was sprinkled in the house and set ablaze. Much of the police inquiry in determining whether the fire was started by people other than a family member focuses on whether the accelerant was lit from outside or inside the house.
One fire officer told The Irish Times that the fire appeared to start on the first floor of the house which, if correct, would indicate the petrol was ignited by someone inside the building.
Mr McElhill previously worked for a farmer, James Crammond, who has a farm on the outskirts of Omagh. "I would be totally amazed if they suspected Arthur," he told one reporter.
"He spent a lot of time looking after his family, some of them were not very well, heart murmurs, child problems. They seemed fairly close.
"He worked for me for five to six years when he was fit. He was a very capable worker when he was fit," he added.
