Reward of £20k offered in renewed appeal over Lyra McKee murder
PAA £20,000 reward is being offered in a renewed appeal for information from police investigating the murder of journalist Lyra McKee.
The 29-year-old died after being shot as she stood close to police vehicles, watching disturbances in the Creggan area of Londonderry in April 2019.
The New IRA – a dissident republican paramilitary group - said it carried out the killing.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) Major Investigation Team said it was continuing to seek information on those responsible, particularly the gunman who carried out the attack.
The appeal is being supported by independent charity Crimestoppers, which is offering the cash reward for information provided directly to the charity that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
A separate £20,000 reward was offered by Crimestoppers in 2022.
Earlier this month, three men from Derry were found not guilty of Lyra's murder.
Who was Lyra McKee?
Lyra was a journalist and campaigner from Belfast who had only recently moved to Derry.
Seen by many as a rising star, she had written for many publications, including Buzzfeed, Private Eye, the Atlantic and Mosaic Science.
She was named Sky News young journalist of the year in 2006 and Forbes Magazine named her as one of their "30 under 30" in media in Europe in 2016.
That same year, she wrote of being "a ceasefire baby" and of being part of the "Good Friday Agreement generation".
Her killing came 21 years after the Good Friday peace agreement was signed in Northern Ireland.
'Family deserve answers'
In a statement on Wednesday, Det Ch Insp Hazel Miller said Lyra's family "deserve answers" and to see those responsible brought to justice.
"My thoughts remain, above all else, with Lyra's loving family and friends," the senior police officer said.
"Her murder robbed them of a much-loved daughter, sister, partner, friend and colleague, and they have had to live with the pain of that loss every day since."
Miller said officers had worked "tirelessly and with determination" for more than seven years to bring those responsible to justice, adding that the commitment to the investigation "remains as strong today as it was on the day Lyra was killed".
Miller urged anyone with information to come forward, saying some people may be reluctant or frightened to speak to police.
"Your information, however small or unimportant it may seem, could be the missing piece that helps us deliver justice for Lyra and her family," she said.
She added that "people's circumstances change" and encouraged anyone with information to contact police or Crimestoppers.
