Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan murder cops 'had clear early suspect in Spain'
Police probing the murder of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jr in Spain had a suspect within hours, it has been claimed.
A clear image of the gunman who shot the pair dead was captured on CCTV as he fled the scene, it has been revealed. Lyons Jr, 46, and Monaghan, 43, were gunned down in Fuengirola after they watched the Champions League final on the evening of Saturday, May 31.
The killer walked into the bar and calmly first shot Lyons Jr dead before targeting Monaghan.
Shortly afterwards, graphic security camera images of his killing were released to the Spanish media - however, until now, the existence of other footage has never been made public.
The gunman was in and out of Monaghan's Irish Bar within 25 seconds in what experts describe as a "military-style" killing.
However, as he left, he was inadvertently caught on another CCTV camera providing police with a vital breakthrough. It is not known if his identity was immediately known to the Spanish or if that came after they liaised with their counterparts back in the UK.
A source told the Scottish Daily Express: "This was absolute dynamite for investigators. The fact that his image was so clear provided them with a major breakthrough within a very short time. It is apparent that they knew who they were looking for extremely quickly."
Authorities in Fuengirola believe the killer was picked up a short distance from the crime scene and driven the 270-mile, three-hour trip across the border into Portugal. Once there, it is thought the man boarded a flight at Faro Airport back to the UK.
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On Friday, Merseyside Police detained a 44-year-old male on an international arrest warrant on behalf of the Spanish. Michael Riley was later transferred from Liverpool to London, where he appeared before Westminster Magistrates' in connection with the double killing on Saturday morning. It is not yet known if the Liverpudlian will contest the application to return him to Spain.
Within days of the murders Police Scotland issued a statement saying they were not in any way connected to the current ongoing gang war which has engulfed Scotland.
Despite both victims being major players within the north Glasgow-based Lyons crime syndicate, the force said that there was nothing to suggest the deaths have any link to the feud.
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