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Three Acquitted in Lyra McKee Murder; Gunman Still Unidentified

7/3/2026

39 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Jordan Devine, Paul McIntyre and Peter Cavanagh were found not guilty of murdering Lyra McKee.
Judge Patricia Smyth said the acquittals would bring little comfort to Lyra McKee’s family because the gunman remains at large.
The bench trial ran from May 2024 to April 2026 after New Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility for the 2019 killing of Lyra McKee.
Reporters Without Borders urged authorities to keep pursuing the unidentified gunman.

History

Historical Context

The 1972 Bloody Sunday in Derry’s Bogside, where British soldiers shot 26 unarmed civilians and killed 14, is seen as a pivotal moment in the Troubles that many trace to the 1969 Battle of the Bogside. Decades of sectarian unrest and unresolved killings have kept demands for accountability alive, shaping current calls for investigative reform.

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Story summary

Jordan Devine, Paul McIntyre and Peter Cavanagh were found not guilty of murdering Lyra McKee.
Judge Patricia Smyth said the acquittals would bring little comfort to Lyra McKee’s family because the gunman remains at large.
The bench trial ran from May 2024 to April 2026 after New Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility for the 2019 killing of Lyra McKee.
Reporters Without Borders urged authorities to keep pursuing the unidentified gunman.

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