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Lyra McKee

Journalist killed during unrest in Derry/Londonderry in 2019; three men tried over her murder were acquitted in July 2026.

Acquitted
last updated 15 September 2026 · 5 sources
Confirmed facts
13
Open questions
5
Verdict date
3 Jul 2026
Convictions
0
This case is still developing. Get an email when the file updates.
Audio brief · automated narration of the sourced record
Transcript

Case file Lyra McKee, reference D C zero zero one four. According to The Guardian, on eighteenth April twenty nineteen, Lyra McKee, a twenty-nine-year-old journalist from Belfast, died after being hit by a bullet while standing close to police vehicles and observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry slash Londonderry. The Associated Press reported that she was near law enforcement officers and observing an anti-police riot in Londonderry, also known as Derry, when she was shot. The Guardian reported that the New IRA claimed responsibility after the shooting. The Guardian reported that the trial of Jordan Devine, Paul McIntyre and Peter Cavanagh opened in May twenty twenty-four at Belfast Crown Court. Prosecutors alleged joint enterprise, while saying none fired the fatal shot; those allegations were unproven. On third July twenty twenty-six, The Guardian reported the three men were found not guilty of murder. AP reported Justice Patricia Smyth said the circumstantial evidence was insufficient for conviction. The file’s open questions include who fired the fatal shot, whether further proceedings will follow, and whether investigative issues described by former PSNI Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy will be reviewed. This has been an automated reading of case file D C zero zero one four at developing case dot com. Every fact you heard names a public source.

Timeline of what's confirmed13 entries
18 April 2019
Lyra McKee, a 29-year-old journalist from Belfast, died after being hit by a bullet while standing close to police vehicles and observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry/Londonderry.
The Guardian
18 April 2019
AP reported that McKee was standing near law enforcement officers and observing an anti-police riot in Londonderry, also known as Derry, when she was shot.
AP
2019, after the shooting
The Guardian reported that the New IRA claimed responsibility for McKee’s killing.
The Guardian
May 2024
The trial of Jordan Devine, Paul McIntyre and Peter Cavanagh opened at Belfast Crown Court before Mrs Justice Smyth, sitting without a jury.
The Guardian
During trial proceedings
Prosecutors told the court that none of the three defendants fired the fatal shot, but alleged they were engaged in a joint enterprise to encourage and assist the gunman; those allegations were unproven.
The Guardian
During trial proceedings
The defence said much of the prosecution case was based on “pure speculation,” according to The Guardian.
The Guardian
3 July 2026
Jordan Devine, Paul McIntyre and Peter Cavanagh were found not guilty of murdering Lyra McKee at Belfast Crown Court.
The Guardian
3 July 2026
AP reported that Justice Patricia Smyth said the circumstantial evidence was insufficient for a conviction after a nonjury trial held intermittently over the previous two years in Belfast Crown Court.
AP
3 July 2026
The Guardian reported that McKee’s sister Nichola Corner said outside court that the verdict meant the justice system had “completely failed” Lyra McKee, her family and Northern Ireland.
The Guardian
3 July 2026
The Guardian reported that, of the nine men ultimately prosecuted in proceedings connected with McKee’s killing, seven were acquitted on all counts; Kieran McCool was found guilty of common assault, and Christopher Gillen was found guilty of possessing and throwing petrol bombs and riot.
The Guardian · added 15 Sep 2026
21 August 2026
The Guardian reported that an unidentified person had been arrested but not charged in the investigation; former PSNI Det Supt Jason Murphy said no eyewitness would confirm that person’s identity and a prosecuting barrister considered a guilty verdict unlikely on the evidence that could be presented in court.
The Guardian · added 15 Sep 2026
21 August 2026
The Guardian reported that Murphy said some identification evidence was dismissed by the court after police errors during the case.
The Guardian · added 15 Sep 2026
21 August 2026
The Guardian reported that Murphy said a member of his team had visited the office of PSNI officers tasked with identifying suspects, and that those conversations should not have taken place.
The Guardian · added 15 Sep 2026
Open questionsunconfirmed · not conclusions
Who fired the fatal shot?unconfirmed; The Guardian reported the judge said the gunman had not been brought to court · unconfirmed
Will police or prosecutors pursue further proceedings after the acquittals?unconfirmed in the trusted sources reviewed · unconfirmed
What further evidence, if any, may become available from witnesses to the 18 April 2019 unrest?unconfirmed; The Guardian reported the family appealed for an end to a “culture of silence” · unconfirmed
Whether any person will ever be convicted of murder in McKee’s killing remains unresolved.unconfirmed; AP and The Guardian reported the July 2026 murder acquittals · unconfirmed
Will any authority review the investigative or prosecution issues described by former PSNI Det Supt Jason Murphy?unconfirmed; raised by The Guardian’s 21 August 2026 reporting · unconfirmed
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