PSNI renews appeal to find convicted murderer Gary Anderson, missing since Monday

Gary Anderson, jailed for life for a 2018 murder in Londonderry, failed to return to Maghaberry Prison after attending his father's funeral. Police say he was last seen Monday morning in Derry's Creggan area.

Convicted killer Gary Anderson at large after absconding from funeral release

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has issued a renewed appeal for information on the whereabouts of Gary Anderson, a convicted murderer who has been unlawfully at large since Monday, bbc.com reports.

Anderson, 29, is one of two brothers serving life sentences for the murder of Karol Kelly in Londonderry in 2018. He was granted compassionate temporary release (CTR) to attend his father's funeral in Derry, but failed to return to Maghaberry Prison afterwards.

He was last seen on Monday morning at approximately 11:00 BST in the Eastway area of Creggan in Derry, having absconded from his court-approved civilian chaperone.

Court overruled prison authorities

The prison service had initially refused Anderson's CTR application, but a court overturned that decision on Sunday. The funeral took place at St Mary's Church in the Creggan area, followed by a cremation in Letterkenny, County Donegal, later that afternoon.

On Wednesday, the Office of the Lady Chief Justice stated that the court had found the governor's original refusal was "not substantiated by the evidence provided to the court."

Anderson's brother Sean, who is serving 17 years for the same murder, also challenged the refusal to allow him to attend the funeral from Magilligan Prison. That challenge, however, was upheld by the same judge.

Extensive searches ongoing

Police said enquiries to locate Anderson have been extensive, encompassing searches, CCTV checks, widespread patrols, and liaison with An Garda Síochána, the Irish police service.

Detective Inspector Gareth Lavery said in Friday's appeal that officers had acted on every piece of public information received since Monday. "We are grateful for information received following our public appeal on Monday and we want to assure you that we are investigating every report made to us, and we are doing all we can to locate Gary Anderson," Lavery said. "However, as of this time, Gary Anderson has not been located."

Lavery urged anyone with knowledge of Anderson's whereabouts not to approach him directly but to contact police immediately. He also appealed to anyone who had been in the Eastway area on Monday morning and who may hold relevant footage.

Anderson is described as approximately 5ft 11in tall, of slim build, with brown hair.

Minister asked to meet victim's family

Following Anderson's disappearance, Justice Minister Naomi Long has been asked to meet the family of Karol Kelly. No further details on that request were provided at the time of publication.

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)