The family of Joseph Rafferty who was murdered last April by an alleged member of the IRA is to meet US ambassador James C Kenny with a view to taking their justice campaign to the US.
Mr Rafferty's family is to meet Mr Kenny at the embassy in Dublin next Thursday. While plans for a US visit have not been confirmed, it could take place as early as this month.
The dead man's sister, Esther Uzell said the family believed a possible meeting with US politicians, similar to those attended by the sisters of Robert McCartney, might assist her family's campaign.
The McCartneys are due to travel to the US again next week. A meeting with them in New York or Washington has not been ruled out by Mr Rafferty's family.
"We always said if Joseph's killer was handed up our campaign would be over straight away, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen," Ms Uzell said.
"There are a lot of people in the US who support Sinn Féin and we would like to bring Joseph's story over there in the same way that the McCartneys highlighted their story. We're hoping that the ambassador can give us a bit of advice and some help in organising things."
Ms Uzell and members of her family have already held talks with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour leader Pat Rabbitte. Last month they met a delegation from the Independent Monitoring Commission in Dublin.
In its next report in January the IMC is to include its observations regarding Mr Rafferty's murder and whether it could be viewed as a break in the IRA's ceasefire, as Ms Uzell and her family believe.
The commission's January report is seen as crucial following the IRA's announcement on July 28th of its intention to stand down entirely. It will be the first time the commission will have had an opportunity to fully appraise IRA activity since the July statement.
Mr Rafferty, a 29-year-old father of one, was gunned down last April in the Ongar housing estate in west Dublin where he lived. He was originally from the south inner city. In the months leading to his murder he had become embroiled in a dispute with a family from that area.
Mr Rafferty was told a number of times by members of the family he had clashed with that he would be "got" by the IRA.
The woman whose sons he had become embroiled with is in a relationship with a former member of the IRA. The man had also worked on Sinn Féin election campaigns in the past. He is the only suspect in the murder.
Ms Uzell believes that because of the suspect's association with Sinn Féin/IRA the republican movement has a responsibility to help bring him to justice.
