miami showband crime scene photos

[14], Jackson was an alleged RUC Special Branch agent who was said by Yorkshire Television's The Hidden Hand: The Forgotten Massacre programme to have had links to both the Intelligence Corps and Captain Robert Nairac. It was my own personal feelings and convictions at the time these things happened. [4] He spoke with an educated English accent and immediately took charge, ordering a man who appeared to have been the leader of the patrol to tell Crozier to obtain their names and dates of birth instead of addresses. [68] During the trial, Des McAlea had received death threats which made him fear for the safety of his family; this caused him to eventually leave Northern Ireland. They had seven number one records on the Irish singles chart . They received the blessing of jailed UVF leader Gusty Spence, who was serving life for the Malvern Street murder and shootings in 1966. [67][clarification needed], A number of suspects were arrested by the RUC in early August 1975. [22][44], One of the first RUC men who arrived at Buskhill in the wake of the killings was scenes of crime officer James O'Neill. The 55-cent stamp, designed with a 1967 publicity photograph of the band, included two of the slain members, Fran O'Toole and Brian McCoy, as part of the line-up when Dickie Rock was the frontman. [76] Retired diplomat Alistair Kerr wrote a biography of Nairac entitled "Betrayal: the Murder of Robert Nairac" published in 2015, which offers documentary evidence that clears Nairac of having been at Buskhill overseeing the attack. The Provisional IRA carried out the bombing of two pubs in the English city of Birmingham the following November, resulting in 21 deaths. [18] More uniformed men appeared from out of the darkness, their guns pointed at the minibus. "John said the cops told him there was no need for him to go to prison. The Gruesome Death Scene Launch Gallery. [4] The UVF had cut all ties with Somerville after he had opposed the 1994 ceasefire. 34575/04 by Sean McCartney against the United Kingdom: The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section)", "John Weir's Affadavit, Statement by John Weir 03.01.99", "On this day 15October: 1976: UDR men jailed for Showband killings", "Miami Showband massacre survivor shakes with anguish as he remembers his slain friends 40 years on", "Evidence clears Robert Nairac of murders he has been linked to: author", "MoD documents link Robert Nairac to Miami Showband massacre", "Statement of Miami Showband families and survivors in response to the findings of the Historical Enquiries Team into the murders of Anthony Geraghty, Brian McCoy and Francis O'Toole", "Day of 'The Jackal' has finally drawn to a close", "Robert Nairac in command at massacre says Miami guitarist", "Miami Showband Killer Dies at 70; UVF murderer Somerville found dead of cancer in his squalid flat", "Memorial to victims of Miami massacre to be unveiled in Dublin", "Miami Showband killings: Police tipoff helped suspect elude justice, says report", "Miami Showband massacre: HET raises collusion concerns", "Netflix fails to make sense of the Miami Showband Massacre", 'Remastered: The Miami Showband Massacre' On Netflix Unmasks a Conspiracy and False Flag Attack, Houses of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, "Interim Report on the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings [The Barron Report]", "Interim Report on the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Bombing of Kay's Tavern, Dundalk", Interim reports (more detail than final reports) of Irish parliamentary inquiries, Ceasefires of the Provisional IRA, UVF, UDA and RHC, Murders of Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine, Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miami_Showband_killings&oldid=1142010371, Improvised explosive device bombings in Northern Ireland, People killed by security forces during The Troubles (Northern Ireland), Articles with dead external links from April 2012, Articles with dead external links from May 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2020, Articles with dead external links from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 01:35. Browse 25,406 crime scene photos stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. It allows for commemoration and leaving of flowers at the location itself. "[54] In May 1976, Robin Jackson's fingerprints were discovered on the metal barrel of a home-made silencer constructed for a Luger. Das Getty Images Design ist eine eingetragene Marke von Getty Images. It was found 100 yards (91m) from the site with a "UVF Portadown" tattoo on it. [4] Despite the heavy gunfire, Tony Geraghty and Fran O'Toole attempted to carry a severely injured Stephen Travers to safety, but were unable to move him far. 50 True-Crime Documentaries on Netflix | 2023 . [5] Their fears were slightly grounded in fact, as the MI6 officer Michael Oatley was involved in negotiations with a member of the IRA Army Council, during which "structures of disengagement" from Ireland were discussed. UVF serial killer John Somerville shot Miami Showband singer Fran O'Toole 22 times in the face. [30][39], When the device was tilted on its side,[30] clumsy soldering on the clock used as a timer caused the bomb to explode prematurely, blowing the minibus apart and killing UVF men Harris Boyle (aged 22, a telephone wireman from Portadown) and Wesley Somerville (aged 34, a textile worker from Moygashel) instantly. Hurled in opposite directions, they were both decapitated and their bodies dismembered. Three photos, which have been cropped slightly and published below, show the extent of the injuries to Rainey's chest, back, arms and legs. One of the first famous crime scene photos was taken on May 5, 1903, in the home of a Parisian woman named Madame Debeinche who had been murdered. They had killed many Catholics together and they trusted each other implicitly," said our source. The Miami Showband Massacre, the latest in Netflix's ReMastered music documentary series, may feature a band unfamiliar to Americans but the horrendous violence on display puts most American true . Travers had described the English-accented man as having been of normal height and thought he had fair hair, but was not certain. [42], When the RUC arrived at the site they found five dead bodies, a seriously injured Stephen Travers, body parts, the smoldering remains of the destroyed minibus, debris from the bomb blast, bullets, spent cartridges and the band members' personal possessions, including clothing, shoes and a photograph of the group, strewn across the area. He wore a uniform and beret noticeably different from the others. Aged 70, he died of cancer of the kidney. In a rare interview with the BBC Spotlight programme before his death of kidney cancer in 2015, Somerville spoke only once and very briefly about the Miami Showband Massacre. [clarification needed] James McDowell lives in Lurgan, and John James Somerville became an evangelical minister in Belfast. [15][16] A report in the Irish Times implicated Jackson in the Dublin bombings. Near the anniversary of the killings, a temporary plaque is placed at the location of the killings. [34], Thomas Crozier recounted that on the night of the killings, he had driven to the grounds of a school in Lurgan where he had picked up two men. Somerville walked over to McCaughey saying: "Get back on the bus. [7] At the time of the attack the Mid-Ulster Brigade was commanded by Robin Jackson, also known as "The Jackal". The massacre dealt a blow to Northern Ireland's live music scene, which had brought young Catholics and Protestants together. And he wanted Frazer to ensure the Miami killer received any assistance he needed in adjusting to life on the outside. [90] The encounter took place inside Hudson's church, All Souls Belfast. [22] He presently resides near Craigavon. Aaron Carter's mom releases shocking pictures of his 'death scene' bathroom in desperate bid to get cops to probe his death as a crime despite coroner saying it was an accidental drugs overdose [85], The Pat Finucane Centre has named the Miami Showband killings as one of the 87 violent attacks perpetrated by the Glenanne gang against the Irish nationalist community in the 1970s. The two men were found shot dead nearby. They were driving home from a Gaelic football match in Dublin. [19] The Irish Times reported that on the night following the attack, the British ambassador Sir Arthur Galsworthy was summoned to hear the Government of Ireland's strong feelings regarding the murder of the three band members. [22], At least four of the gunmen were soldiers from the UDR. I only came into it because of my UDR connection and the fact that I had a uniform. "Robin Jackson and John Somerville had been very close friends since joining the Mid-Ulster UVF. The scene of the Miami Showband killings in County Down, Northern Ireland, on 31 July 1975. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DISC 2 REPLACEMENT ONLY CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Miami 7th Season DVD 2008 at the best online prices at eBay! Other photographs in the set show similar injuries to all four limbs, his buttocks and face. When three young musicians lost their lives on 31 July 1975, the heart was torn out of Ireland's showband community. His leadership was endorsed by the UVF's leader Gusty Spence. "A hundred of your men haven't done what I've done," he told a UVF leader. The IRA said it killed him because of an alleged association with British Army officer and member of 14th Intelligence Company, Captain Robert Nairac, and claimed it was in possession of his diary, which had been stolen in Portadown.[61]. [44] None of the men ever named their accomplices, and the other UVF gunmen were never caught. The Historical Enquiries Team investigated the killings and released their report to the victims' families in December 2011. He was unimpressed by the UVF men he met in the loyalist stronghold. After meeting a new woman, Somerville settled on the Shankill and for a while he worked in the Harland and Wolff shipyard. [86] Weir alleged the bomb used in the Miami Showband attack came from Mitchell's farm. Jackson was never charged with the Miami atrocity. The scene of the Miami Showband massacre Somerville would never. 2023 Getty Images. Although this information was passed on to RUC headquarters, nothing was done about it. Griffin based her theory on the nine bullets that were fired from a Luger into McCoy's body and that Jackson's fingerprints were found on the silencer used for a Luger. [19], The 1975 line-up comprised four Catholics and two Protestants. [53] The three convicted UVF men, although admitting to having been at the scene, denied having shot anyone. Jackson informed Frazer that John Somerville was due for release. The murder of singer Fran O'Toole . At 2.30am, their Volkswagen minibus was stopped at a bogus military checkpoint, where gunmen in British Army uniforms ordered the band members to line up by the roadside. He then drove to a lay-by on the Newry-Banbridge dual carriageway and met up with another five men, who were all wearing British Army uniforms. U 4. It had been set up in Lurgan in 1972 by part-time Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) sergeant and permanent staff instructor Billy Hanna, who made himself commander of the brigade. Five people were killed, including three members of The Miami Showband, who were then one of Ireland's most popular cabaret bands. [44] The independent panel of inquiry commissioned by the Pat Finucane Centre concluded that there was "credible evidence that the principal perpetrator [of the Miami Showband attack] was a man who was not prosecuted alleged RUC Special Branch agent Robin Jackson". [89] Hudson, a Unitarian minister, had been a close friend of Fran O'Toole. Travers was not able to positively identify Nairac, from his photograph, as having been the man at Buskhill. [79], Another persistent allegation is the direct involvement of Mid-Ulster UVF leader Robin Jackson, a native of Donaghmore, County Down, 1.5 miles (2.4km) away from Buskhill. [78], The band's road manager, Brian Maguire stated that when he drove away from Banbridge in the lead, a few minutes ahead of the band's minibus, he passed through security barriers manned by the RUC. They also discovered a stolen white Ford Escort registration number 4933 LZ,[43] which had been left behind by the gunmen, along with two guns, ammunition, green UDR berets and a pair of glasses later traced to James McDowell, the gunman who had allegedly ordered the shootings. The Officers and Agents of the Ulster Central Intelligence Agency commend the UVF on their actions and tender their deepest sympathy to the relatives of the two Officers who died while attempting to remove the bomb from the minibus. A Sunday World investigation into the Miami Showband atrocity has revealed the now deceased killer's assertion was true. [4][21], The jocular mood of the gunmen abruptly ceased. [84], The families held a press conference in Dublin after the report was released. Optimieren Sie Ihren Workflow mit unserem erstklassigen Digitalen Asset Management System. The Mid-Ulster Battalion has been assisting the South Down-South Armagh units since the IRA Forkhill boobytrap which killed four British soldiers. Mit unserem einfachen Abonnement erhalten Sie Zugriff auf die besten Inhalte von Getty Images. Gaelic footballer brothers John Martin Reavey (24) and Brian (22) died at the scene, while 17-year-old Anthony died three weeks later. [37][38] This might have resulted in the Irish authorities enforcing tighter controls over the border, thus restricting IRA operations. But two other UVF men, Thomas Crozier and James McDowell - both soldiers in the UDR - were jailed for life. And two years later when he was scooped in an RUC raid in Dungannon on September 26, 1980, he made a detailed confession outlining his involvement in numerous UVF murders. How are things? Crozier had pleaded not guilty. More than 100 killings have been attributed to him by the Pat Finucane Centre, the Derry-based civil rights group.[15][17]. [62] However, police have blamed the IRA. He also added that "that bomb was definitely placed there with a view to killing all in that band".[22]. "Special Branch Agent colluded in Miami killings". Griffin goes on to add that the bogus checkpoint was set up not only to plant the bomb on board the van but to ensure the presence of McCoy which would have been confirmed when he handed over his driving licence to the gunmen. [21][22], Their music was described as "contemporary and trans-Atlantic", with no reference to the Northern Ireland conflict. By this time the gunmen had left the scene, assuming everyone else had been killed. The Miami Showband (1962-1996 and 2008-present) Photo Gallery - Band Lineups - Discography - Audio samples - Where Are They Now? [100] According to the report, Jackson had claimed during police interrogations that after the shootings, a senior RUC officer had advised him to "lie low". [46][49] In 1993, Boyle was named by The Hidden Hand programme as one of the Dublin car bombers. [12] Journalist Joe Tiernan suggested that Hanna was shot for refusing to participate in the Miami Showband attack and that he had become an informer for the Garda in exchange for immunity from prosecution for the Dublin bombings. "IRA 'responsible' for killings blamed on loyalists", "Decision as to the admissibility of Application no. The fledgling loyalist terror group didn't operate in established command areas and Somerville and Jackson were able to kill at will over a wide geographical area. UVF killer Wesley Somerville who died in the attack. John Somerville was born in 1940 into a respectable small farming family from outside Moygashel, Co Tyrone. "After the explosion, the red mist came down and I went mad with a machine-gun," he once told a fellow loyalist prisoner. I did what I did. As the UUUC would not abide any form of power-sharing with the Dublin government, no agreement could be reached and the convention failed, again marginalising Northern Ireland's politicians and the communities they represented. But the Sunday World has also learned that on January 4 1976, Jackson was accompanied by John Somerville when he burst into the home of the O'Dowd family at Ballyduggan, near Gilford, shooting three of them dead. Tony Geraghty also attempted to escape; but he was caught by the gunmen and shot twice in the back of his head and a number of times in the back. The dead bombers were named by the UVF, in a statement issued within 12 hours of the attack. Geraghty was engaged to be married. He . The Miami Showband was a popular Dublin-based Irish showband, enjoying fame and, according to journalist Peter Taylor, "Beatle-like devotion" from fans on both sides of the Irish border. Her brothers Seamus and Michael also died in the attack, which was later claimed by the Protestant Action Force, a cover name for the Mid-Ulster UVF. Two of the gunmen, both soldiers, died when a time bomb they were hiding on the minibus exploded prematurely. "Billy Mac") took over as the group's frontman when the Simon brothers quit the band. According to former Intelligence Corps agent Captain Fred Holroyd, the killings were organised by British intelligence officer Robert Nairac, together with the UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade and its commander Robin "the Jackal" Jackson. Chris Hudson, a former intermediary between the government of Ireland and the UVF, whose role was crucial to the Northern Ireland peace process. She also thinks that had everything gone to plan once the bomb was planted in the van McCoy would have been instructed to drive through Newry where the bomb would have gone off and the UVF could then afterwards portray the Miami Showband as IRA members on a mission to blow up the local RUC barracks. Lightly built and standing less than 5ft 7in, he wasn't a stereotypical loyalist killer. Four Protestant civilians (two men and two women) and UVF member Hugh Harris were killed in the attack. [34][81][82] The panel stated that it was unclear why Crozier, Jackson and Neill were not in police custody at the time the Miami Showband killings took place. Died from several gunshot wounds. And six years later - seconds before he was handed four life sentences - his voice boomed across the courtroom: "I'm being sent to prison because I wouldn't become an informer like the rest of them," he yelled at the trial judge. [59] Two days later, Portadown disc jockey Norman "Mooch" Kerr, aged 28,[60] was shot dead by the IRA as he packed up his equipment after a show at the Camrick Bar in Armagh. Browse 22 the miami showband stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [55] Although ballistic testing had linked the Luger (for which the silencer had been specifically made) to the Miami Showband attack, Jackson was never questioned about the killings after his fingerprints had been discovered on the silencer, and the Miami inquiry team were never informed about these developments. [6], In early 1975, Merlyn Rees set up elections for the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention at which all of Northern Ireland's politicians would plan their way forward.

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