The Five Demands

La Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains è al lavoro per tentare di ritrovare i resti umani di Gerard Evans, scomparso 30 anni fa. La richerche sono iniziate in seguito alle dichiarazioni di un uomo mascherato appartenente alla brigata South Armagh (PIRA), rilasciate al Sunday Tribune.
L’uomo sostiente di essere stato uno del commando di 12 uomini che ha prima rapito e poi ucciso Gerard Evans reo confesso di essere un informatore. Secondo quanto riportato non sarebbe stato torturato, e sarebbe stato ucciso con un unico colpo esploso dietro la nuca.
Dopo aver rivendicato la morte di Evans, l’uomo si è detto stupito del fatto che la brigata South Armagh non abbia mai voluto rivelare il luogo della sepoltura. E’ stato l’omicidio di Paul Quinn a risvegliargli la coscienza ed rendersi conto che è ora di farla finita con le menzogne.
Sono stati forniti dettagli precisi del luogo in cui dovrebbero trovarsi i resti di Gerard Evans. Si procederà a nuove ricerche quando il terreno si sarà asciugato dopo le forti piogge.

Search for remains following IRA man’s confession (Sunday Tribune)
The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains has visited the Co Louth bogland where an IRA man has told the Sunday Tribune one of the so-called ‘disappeared’ is buried.
A masked member of the south Armagh brigade said he was one of 12 people involv­ed in the abduction and murder of Gerard Evans (24), from Crossmaglen, nearly 30 years ago. He claimed Evans had been an informer.
He provided a map and detailed directions to the secret grave in bogland two miles from Hackballscross. The IRA leadership continues to deny involvement in the murder, a claim strenuously repeated by Sinn Féin last week.
Representatives of the commission met in the Republic last Wednesday to discuss our report and their plans for a dig at the site. Forensic expert Geoff Knupfer travelled from England for the meeting. Knupfer has led several digs for the ‘disappeared’. A commission representative has visited the field outside Hackballscross, which is accessed from a narrow lane. However, heavy rain had left it too water-logged for even initial tests. He will return when the land dries out.
Mary Evans (76), Gerard’s mother, said the disclosure in the Sunday Tribune had come unexpectedly. “I was shocked,” she said. “It’s now in the hands of the commission. Please god, they’ll be able to find Gerry and I can bring him home and give him a Christian burial.”
Gerard Evans was last seen trying to hitch a lift home from a dance in Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, in March 1979. “We held him for three days,” the IRA man said. “He confessed very quickly to being an informer. He wasn’t tortured. He pleaded for mercy, he pleaded not to be killed and then he said his prayers. He was shot once in the back of the head.”
While the IRA man defended Evans’ killing, he saw no reason why the south Armagh leadership still refused to give details of the secret grave. He said the murder 15 months ago of Paul Quinn (21), who was beaten to death with iron bars, had influenced him. “I’m sick of lies,” he said.
Paul Quinn’s mother Breege said: “I’m delighted for the Evanses… Hopefully, his information will lead to some closure for the family. We hope we won’t have to wait 30 years for someone in the IRA to come forward and tell the truth about our son’s murder…”