Dear Residents,

 

On 18th April 2019, our lives were changed forever. Less than two months after leaving working-class North Belfast to make Derry her new home, our dear sister Lyra was murdered on Fanad Drive.

 

Lyra never caused harm to anyone in her 29 years of life. She cared deeply for people and went out of her way to help others, whether she knew them or not. Lyra worked hard to uncover dark, hidden truths within our society and beyond; she helped others find information that could lead to justice for them and their families; she highlighted injustice through her work and she would have continued to do this had it not been for the gunman who murdered her.

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This is NOT fair. Our Lyra deserves justice.

 

Our mother died of a broken heart in March 2020. She just could not live without her baby. Our mother did not live to see justice for our Lyra’s murder. Our family continue to struggle to deal with the loss of our sister and mother but we are determined to pursue justice for them both.

 

We believe that you can help us.

 

We continue to be grateful to the 150 people who have come forward with information relating to our Lyra’s murder but, so far, this has not lead to the outcome we need: the arrest and conviction of the gunman who is ultimately responsible for robbing us of both our sister and our mother. We have made a number of public appeals directly to the gunman himself, but so far these have fallen on deaf ears.

 

We know that many of you have rightfully demanded justice for the murders of your innocent family members and friends. For some, this has thankfully been successful. For others, sadly, it has not yet been achieved. As a journalist, Lyra would have readily highlighted your right to demand justice and would have supported this right through her work.

 

We are asking you to help us in our quest to achieve justice for our Lyra. If you have any information that could assist us in achieving justice for Lyra, our mother and our family, we ask you to share it now.

 

Justice for Lyra will help to make Derry a safer place for everyone.

 

The dead cannot demand justice. It is the duty of the living to demand it for them.

 

SPEAK OUT FOR LYRA

 

With thanks in anticipation of your continued support,

 

The family of Lyra McKee