PSNI OFFICERS WHO are investigating the murder of a young nursing assistant in Lurgan have arrested a 30-year-old woman on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
A PSNI spokesperson said the woman has been taken to Lurgan Police Station where she is helping officers with their enquiries, and that a number of searches are being carried out in the Lurgan area in connection with the murder investigation today also.
Odhran Kelly was found killed on Edward Street in Lurgan in the early hours of 3 December. The 23-year-old’s body was discovered next to a burning vehicle.
At his funeral on Sunday gone by, the congregation heard that Odhran is the third person in Lurgan to be “robbed of their young and valued lives” in the last year.
At a vigil that was held to honour him, a close friend of his said that he was the kind of caring person who was “always checking up on you”, and the kind of friend who could make you laugh “until your ribs were sore”.
To date, two men aged 31 have been charged with murder in the course of the investigation.
Gary Damien Scullion from Lurgan was charged on Friday, and Shane Harte, also from Lurgan, was also charged with the murder of the 23-year-old yesterday.
Two women have been charged with assisting an offender who committed murder. Both are due to next appear in court on 15 December.
Since his tragic death, tributes have poured in for Odhran.
Lurgan came to a standstill as a mark of respect during his funeral three days ago.
Building Bridges Community Arts Theatre held a minute of silence during a show.
“At the very heart of our group, we believe in making Lurgan a better place for all, and like everyone, we have been shaken to our core by Odhrán’s death, a life taken way too soon,” the organisers said online.
The Rainbow Project, an organisation that promotes the wellbeing of the LGBTQIA+ community in Northern Ireland, acknowledged that Odhran’s has caused “concern and anxiety in the LGBTQIA+ community”.
Rest in power Odhran.
— The Rainbow Project (@TRPNI) December 6, 2023
This evening, with many hundreds of others, a representative of the Rainbow Project attended the vigil held in memory of Odhran Kelly in Lurgan. All our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/YDtgRFdzu9
The organisation repeated the PSNI’s call for the public to not engage in speculation about the motive behind the murder.
It added that anyone who has been impacted by the news of Odhran’s death can contact the Rainbow Project for support.
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