New Lead Investigator in search for Disappeared appointed as Jon Hill retires
The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) said that Jon Hill, who has been with the ICLVR since 2006, is stepping down as lead investigator, a post he has held since 2023.
Mr Hill had indicated to the Commission towards the end of last year that he intended to stand down in the spring of 2025.
The ICLVR was set up in 1999 following the Good Friday Agreement to locate and recover the remains of those abducted, murdered and secretly buried during the Troubles, known as the Disappeared.
To date the remains of 13 of the 17 Disappeared have been recovered.
His successor is Eamonn Henry, who served with An Garda Síochána for over 30 years, 11 of them as a Detective Inspector with the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He was the Garda Liaison to the ICLVR from June 2013 to February 2017 and joined the ICLVR investigations team in 2023.
Paying tribute to Mr Hill, the joint UK and Irish Commissioners Rosalie Flanagan and Tim Dalton said: 'Jon has made a huge contribution to the success of the ICLVR going back nearly 20 years of dedicated service.
'He allied investigative skills of a high order with his absolute determination to do everything in his power to return the remains of the Disappeared to their families.
'We are grateful that Jon will continue to support the work of the Commission in an advisory capacity and we wish him and his family well.'
Mr Hill said: 'It is with a feeling of mixed emotions I have decided to step down from my position as Lead Investigator with the Commission.
'The families and the Commission has been a part of my life for so long now that it is hard to imagine life without it.
'I am incredibly proud and honoured to have been a part of the success that the Commission has been but now find that commitment working away from home is detracting too much from my own life with my family.
'I have every confidence that Eamonn and the team will continue to make every effort to resolve the four remaining cases'.
The ICLVR Commissioners said Mr Henry 'has both the experience and the skills needed to take the Commission's humanitarian work forward'.
'We look forward to working with Eamonn as lead investigator and wish him and the investigations team well as they work to resolve the remaining cases,' they added.
Mr Henry said: 'I am honoured and privileged to take up the role of Lead Investigator with the ICLVR following on from the tremendous work of the previous lead investigators Jon Hill and Geoff Knupfer.
'My commitment is to the families of the Disappeared and the ICLVR team is focused on our mission to recover the remains of all 17 victims called The Disappeared.
'Therefore I am appealing to anyone who has any information concerning the location of the remains of Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire to come forward to the Commission and we will treat all information received in the strictest confidence.'
Anyone with information on the four outstanding Disappeared cases should contact the ICLVR on +353 1 602 8655 or Secretary@iclvr.ie or write to ICLVR PO Box 10827 Dublin, Ireland.
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