‘Tell me who murdered my sister 50 years ago’

The brother of a woman who was murdered more than 50 years ago has made a fresh appeal for information about her death.

Marian Beattie, 18, from Portadown was last seen leaving a charity dance at Hadden’s Garage in Aughnacloy on 30 March 1973.

She was observed leaving the premises with a young man just after 01:00 but five hours later her partially-clothed body was found at the bottom of a quarry between Aughnacloy and Ballygawley.

Her brother Gerard Beattie said his family have never recovered.

“Marian was a special person, she would have gone out of her way to help anyone out”, he said.

He added: “She didn’t deserve what happened to her and we know there are people out there who have information about who was involved in her murder.

“So we’re asking again for those people to please come forward because we just want justice and the truth for Marian.”

This week police said they were reviewing the murder and appealed to anyone with fresh information to come forward.

PSNI Dt Insp Thompson said: “I appreciate this murder took place over 50 years ago but we would like to talk to anyone who was at the dance at Hadden’s Garage on the night of Friday, 30th March 1973.

“Marian went there with a girlfriend to listen to her brother’s band. Did you see who she was dancing with or speaking with? Did you see her leave the dance with a man?

“Do you know who he was? Did you see her in the car park at the quarry any time after 1.15am on the Saturday morning?

Dt Insp Thompson added: “Marian’s family deserve to know what happened to her that night. I am appealing to anyone who may be able to help us progress the investigation and bring some closure to the Beattie family to come forward and speak to Detectives in Legacy Investigation Branch.”

In late March 1973, Marian Beattie went to a charity dance at Hadden’s Garage on the outskirts of Aughnacloy with her best friend and brother.

During the night she was seen dancing with a young man. She left with him after 01:00.

Marian’s body was found in the early hours of the following day at the bottom of the nearby quarry, and the police opened a murder investigation.

More than 50 years later nobody has ever been charged with a murder that police described at the time as a “vicious and cruel murder, with sadistic overtones”.

Gerard Beattie said he can still remember when he heard about what happened to Marian.

He said: “I was only 13 years old, I was out playing football and my dad called us into the house and next thing there was a priest there and he told us Marian was found dead in a quarry.

“I was just in a complete and utter shock, it felt like the ground had just opened up, it just felt like a complete and utter disaster.”

Gerard said despite the passage of time, his family will continue to campaign until they find out the truth.

“It was devastating for our entire family, my mother was never the same and she died of a broken heart,” he said.

“But we’ll never give up, if something happens me, my daughter will carry it on, we need to get answers for Marian.”