DISAPPEARED INVESTIGATOR TO RETIRE

One of the leaders of the ongoing search for the Disappeared – those abducted, murdered and secretly buried during the Troubles period – has announced his retirement. Geoff Knupfer has been the lead investigator for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains since 2005 and has been closely involved in the series of searches carried out in the Bragan area of Co Monaghan in recent years for the remains of Columba McVeigh.

The ICLVR was set up by the Irish and British Governments in 1999. To date 13 of the 17 acknowledged Disappeared have been found and returned to their families for burial – 11 of them thanks to the work of the commission. “It has been an honour to have been given the opportunity to be so closely involved in this humanitarian venture over the last 18 years,” Mr Knupfer said. “Everyone who works on these cases in whatever role is acutely aware of the plight of the families.” He said that investigators had always maintained a very close relationship with the..