The jury in the Richie Barron inquest has returned an open verdict on his death.
The decision was a unanimous one after an hour and a half deliberation this morning. Before making the decision the jury heard the coroner Mr Sean Cannon say the cause of Mr Barron's death was inconclusive.
The death of Mr Barron - a cattle dealer - on the roadside near his east Donegal Raphoe home in October 1996 and subsequent events have resulted in the biggest investigation in the history of the State into the actions of gardaí.
Mr Barron's death was initially believed to have been the result of a hit-and-run incident, but gardaí opened a murder investigation within days.
This led to the arrest of a number of members of the McBrearty family from Raphoe and to an alleged confession to the murder of Mr Barron by Mr Frank McBrearty jnr.
Claims by the McBrearty family of Garda corruption and abuse of power in the aftermath of Mr Barron's death have led to the Carty inquiry and the setting up of the Morris tribunal into alleged Garda corruption.