'Examine your conscience - tell us what you know'

ON the anniversary of his brutal murder, police are again appealing for information which could finally secure justice for the family of Darren Fawns.

The 13-year-old disappeared after a family shopping trip 29-years-ago this week. His partially naked body was uncovered near the Lough shore five days later.

The youngster had been bludgeoned to death with a heavy object.

The grisly murder sparked one of the biggest manhunts ever seen in Northern Ireland, but to date no-one has been charged - and there has been no peace for his heartbroken family.

Down the years there have been several fresh appeals - even a Crimewatch reconstruction - but almost three decades on, there is still no justice for Darren.

On the 25th anniversary of the killing, it emerged that cold-case detectives were poised to begin a top- level review of the evidence - though it appears that has yet to begin.

Back in 2020, Detective Chief Superintendent Bobby Singleton stressed that the investigation was still ongoing.

“The tragic murder of Darren Fawns currently sits within the caseload of Legacy Investigation Branch for future review in accordance with LIB’s Case Sequencing Model.” he said.

“Regrettably due to the nature and volume of LIB caseloads we are unable to give any undertaking as to precisely when this review will commence, however I can assure the community the case remains open.

“We remain committed to bringing to justice those responsible for Darren’s murder and we stand ready to explore any new information and where credible investigative lines of enquiry are identified, we will follow them.

“On the anniversary of the murder I would appeal to anyone in the community with any information about Darren’s death to please examine their conscience, come forward and tell us what they know.”

The notion that locals may still hold the key to unlocking the case has been echoed by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Montgomery.

“The circumstances surrounding the Darren’s murder in 1995 were devastating for his family and friends and had a profound impact on the wider community,” he told the Guardian.

“A 13-year-old boy had his life cruelly and brutally cut short. It is never too late to do the right thing.

“Despite the passage of time, I would appeal to anyone with information about Darren’s death to contact detectives.”

This week, Chief Superintendent Claire McGuigan reiterated the call, and said: “The tragic murder of Darren Fawns currently sits within the caseload of Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB) for future review in accordance with LIB’s Case Sequencing Model. I can assure the community that the case remains open.

“We continue to appeal to anyone with information about Darren’s death to examine their conscience, come forward and tell us what they know.

“We remain committed to bringing those responsible for Darren’s murder to justice and we will follow up on any new information. Where credible investigative lines of enquiry are identified, they will be fully explored.”

Detectives in Legacy Investigation Branch can be contacted on 101.

Alternatively, information can be given to the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

In a recent interview, Darren’s heartbroken father said he feared that the killer who robbed him of his boy may have got away with murder.

Alan Fawns revealed that the family remain rooted to the day they lost him.

“Darren is still in our minds all the time,” said the softly spoken Scot.

And, alas, so is that nagging doubt about the police investigation.

“We are hoping that they will catch someone, but we have been hoping for years now.

“I am not saying that hope fades, but it is hard to think that anyone will be caught now.”

For their part, the police have insisted that the book remains open.

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