A search operation has commenced to recover the remains of Seamus Maguire, a 29-year-old from County Antrim who is officially recognized as one of the Disappeared.
This group consists of 17 individuals abducted and secretly buried during the Northern Ireland Troubles.
The Maguire family expressed their hope that the search will finally allow them to lay Seamus to rest alongside his parents, noting that his mother searched for him until her final days.
The search is being conducted by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) at a site in Derryclone.
Lead investigator Eamonn Henry noted that the ICLVR only added Maguire to their list four years ago due to historical uncertainty regarding his fate.
While initially thought to have vanished in 1973, evidence now suggests he was killed in 1976 after returning from Manchester.
Although the Commission lacks complete information, investigators are confident that the Derryclone farmland warrants a search.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, acknowledged the decades of suffering endured by the Maguire family and praised the ICLVR for their dedication.
The search for Seamus Maguire is one of four ongoing cases, alongside the unresolved disappearances of Columba McVeigh, Joseph Lynskey, and Robert Nairac.
The ICLVR has urged anyone with relevant information to come forward, emphasizing that all reports are handled with complete confidentiality as they strive to return remains to families for burial.
