THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) has announced that it has taken on a new Disappeared case for the first time in 10 years.

Commissioners Rosalie Flanagan and Tim Dalton have concluded that the case of Seamus Maguire – who disappeared from the Lurgan area of Co Armagh in or around 1973/74 – met the criteria as a Commission ‘Disappeared’ case.

This means that the Commissioners are satisfied that there is enough evidence to say that he was “killed and secretly buried as a result of paramilitary activity” before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

This assessment has been made on the basis of information received from the PSNI, the commissioners said in a statement released today.

There are now 17 ICLVR cases, 13 of which have been resolved with the remains having been located, recovered, and returned to their families.

Geoff Knupfer, the ICLVR’s lead investigator said: “Seamus Maguire was around 26 years old when he left his home near Lurgan, Co Armagh, never to return.

It is believed that Republican paramilitaries were involved though it is not yet clear which wing of the IRA was involved.

Knupfer stressed the humanitarian aim of the ICLVR: “As with all our cases, our sole aim is to locate and recover the remains to return them to Seamus’ family.”

Geoff Knupfer leaving the Coroner's Court in Dublin following the inquest into the death of Brendan Megraw. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The ICLVR was set up by the Irish and British governments in 1999 as part of the peace process. It operates confidential Irish, British and international phone lines, an email address and a PO Box, and makes regular appeals for information – usually coinciding with anniversaries related to the victims they’re searching for.

A spokesperson for the Maguire family said: “Seamus was a much-loved eldest son.

His mother looked for him for many years.

The family’s wish is that he is brought home and given a Christian burial.

The family has urged anyone who can help the Commission to do so by providing whatever information they know about where Seamus is buried.

The family has also asked for privacy.

Seamus Maguire now joins Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh and Robert Nairac as the Disappeared whose remains have yet to be found and recovered.

The CrimeStoppers reward totalling $60,000 now covers the four outstanding Disappeared cases and is payable for information that results in the recovery of the remains of any or all of them.

Here are the ways to contact them:

• The ICLVR can be contacted by telephone: 00800 55585500, or internationally at: +353 1 602 8655
• Email: secretary@iclvr.ie
• By post: ICLVR PO Box 10827
• CrimeStoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111 and the untraceable anonymous online form is at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.