A woman's wait to find the body of her murdered sister
"Every morning you wake up wondering will today be the day that we find her body?"
This is a thought that Sinead Corrigan has been living with for more than 12 years.
Her sister Charlotte Murray went missing in 2012 and her body has never been found.
In 2019 her former partner Johnny Miller was convicted of her murder.
In a rare interview Charlotte's sister, Sinead, has been speaking to BBC News NI.
It comes as her family continues to campaign for a change in the law in murder cases where killers conceal the location of victims' bodies.
The legislation - dubbed Charlotte's Law - has already been out for public consultation and there are plans to introduce it to the Northern Ireland Assembly within the next year.
The proposed law outlines a series of measures that it is hoped could encourage killers to volunteer information about where victims' remains are.
This includes potential reduced sentences for those who disclose the location of a victims' remains and longer prisoner sentences for those who do not.
Charlotte Murray was originally from Omagh in County Tyrone.
But for the final years of her life she had been living in the village of Moy with her partner at the time, Johnny Miller.
He is currently serving a life sentence for her murder with a 16-year tariff imposed in 2020.
Charlotte's sister told BBC News NI that not knowing where her sister's body is continues to have a profound impact on her family.
"Charlotte was a strong woman, I would say she was definitely free spirited and she was a kind person," she said.
"We're a big family, Charlotte was one of 11 children, it's had a huge impact on every single one of us, it has taken it's toll on everybody, it's hard to move forward when we don't even have a grave to visit."
Charlotte was last seen alive in October 2012 and her family have been trying to find her ever since.
There have been a number of high-profile searches for her body.
Ms Corrigan said the idea for Charlotte's Law came about after her family found out about legislation in England and Wales that followed the disappearance of 22-year-old Helen McCourt in Merseyside in 1988.
Her killer Ian Simms was freed from jail without disclosing the location of her remains.
But now Helen's Law places a statutory obligation on the parole board to take into account an offender's non-disclosure of certain information when making a decision about their release from prison.
Ms Corrigan added: "On the one hand you don't want to give the people that have hurt your loved one anything, we knew that we needed to have an incentive for offenders in some cases.
"But really it's about giving the victims and their families what they need, because not knowing where you loved one is, that is something I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy."
Charlotte's family also hope any new legislation could help lead to the location of her body and are building in proposals that could be applied retrospectively to cases that have already been through the courts.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said the aim is that Charlotte's Law will build upon the work of Helen's Law and help bereaved families in Northern Ireland.
Speaking to BBC News NI, Ms Long said: "We know that not having a body to bury can really impact on the mental health of a family and on their ability to grieve properly.
"It's something we discussed at length with bereaved families because things like reductions of tariffs of those convicted of such heinous crimes is always an extremely sensitive issue."
The Justice Minister added: "With Charlotte's law we wanted to bring forward incentives at each stage, from arrest to sentencing and with that there will be a sliding scale in terms of the impact it would have on tariffs, depending on how early the information is released."
"Even when they're in prison, they may have had time to think about the enormity of their situation and suddenly they have second thoughts, and they might give up that information and that could entitle them to a slight reduction in their tariff," Long added.
Charlotte Murray's family have also worked closely on the campaign with relatives of Lisa Dorrian, who disappeared in 2005.
Her body has also never been found.
Last month on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance, for the first time police released CCTV footage which was filmed just days before Ms Dorrian's disappearance.
Sinead Corrigan said it's her hope that other families will not have to endure the same experience.
"It's been a long road and we've been blown away by the support from politicians and families like the Dorrians to help us raise the profile of this issue," she said.
She added: "Obviously you don't want any family to be in the situation of losing a loved one to murder, but if that awful thing does happen, we hope Charlotte's Law will help in the journey to bring their loved ones home."
Charlotte's Law is to be included as part of the Sentencing Bill, and is expected to have reached Stormont committee stage next year, before coming law.
Killer urged to 'end cowardly silence' over body
Killers who hide bodies could face longer in jail
Destroying remains 'should be a separate crime'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Second night of disorder in Ballymena with missiles thrown at police
A second night of serious disorder has broken out in Ballymena, County Antrim, with petrol bombs, masonry and fireworks being thrown at police. Police have fired baton rounds and deployed water cannon. Officers have also brought riot dogs on to the scene. Crowds have gathered in the Clonavon Terrace area, which is also where violent disorder, described as "racist thuggery", broke out on Monday night. Police have asked members of public to avoid the area. Monday's violence broke out following an earlier peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town. Petrol bombs and other missiles were thrown at police, and six homes attacked with four of them damaged by fire. One assembly member, Sian Mulholland, told the Northern Ireland Assembly that a family with three young children had to "barricade themselves into their attic". A number of businesses were also damaged, with windows and doors smashed. A 29-year-old man has been charged with riotous behaviour, disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. The police described the actions as "racist thuggery" and indicated some people on Monday night were "clearly intent on violence". They added there would be a "significant" policing presence in the town in the coming days. The prime minister's official spokesman described the events in Ballymena as "very concerning". Earlier on Monday, two teenage boys appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' Court accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Ballymena. They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages. Their solicitor said they would be denying the charges. Earlier, the MP who represents Ballymena was criticised for an "insincere" and "weaselly" condemnation of the violence. North Antrim MP Jim Allister said he "utterly repudiated" the criticism by fellow Northern Ireland MP Claire Hanna. The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader said the violence was wrong and unwarranted, but also said the "oversubscription of migrants" in that part of the town had led to tensions. Speaking on BBC Newsline, Jim Allister said his primary thoughts were with all who suffered in the violence but also the 14-year-girl who was the alleged victim of the sexual assault, and for whom "thousands gathered last night to show empathy". "My fear was, and it turned out to be true, that that vital demonstration of opposition to violence against women would be overwhelmed by a resort to violence by those who had other ideas and other agendas, and sadly that's what happened." He added that the underlying tensions had been "there for a long time in this particular part of Ballymena" because there was "an oversubscription of migrants who had been placed there", causing "tensions to rise to the surface". "In that sense, it was unsurprising but utterly unacceptable that there should be any resort to violence." When asked about what evidence he was drawing on, Allister said the last time he canvassed a street in the area with 50 houses, he came "upon five local, if I can call them that, residents of Ballymena". He added: "If you find a street where only five of fifty houses are occupied by local people, then I think there is an imbalance which is storing up trouble." Allister said that while some work and integrate, "many of them sadly have not integrated and have sought to pursue a lifestyle which is not compatible, in many ways, with what is expected in a town community such as Ballymena". South Belfast MP Claire Hanna responded by saying "some politicians are choosing to explain away" episodes of violence. "We are hearing words of condemnation which are, at best insincere, and many people would describe as weaselly," the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader added. "You can choose each day when you have a mandate and a platform to get up and try and solve problems or you can choose to exploit them, you can choose to try to calm tensions or you can try and fan them." In response, Allister said: "If Claire is trying to pretend that I am insincere in my condemnation of violence then I utterly repudiate and indeed resent that comment." He accused her comments of being "supercilious lectures from someone who thinks they are superior on these issues". Earlier, previous comments from Jim Allister on Monday, that there had been a demographic change due to "unfettered immigration" in the area, were criticised by Hanna's party colleague Matthew O'Toole, who said they were "deeply irresponsible". Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member Paul Frew said he had been warning about "rising tensions" in the area and those warnings have "now come true". "There is not justification for what happened," he added. "Violence is always wrong." Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was appalled by the "disturbing scenes" while Sinn Féin's Philip McGuigan, who represents the North Antrim constituency, appealed for calm and urged political leaders to "use measured language". Disorder after alleged sex assault was 'racist thuggery', say police Teenage boys in court charged with attempted rape
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher charged with child sex crimes; law firms represent multiple victims across states
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A former middle school principal now facing serious child sex abuse charges in Missouri once worked for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. According to law enforcement and legal representatives, Cedric Gerald, 48, who most recently served as a principal at Westview Middle School in the Riverview Gardens School District in St. Louis County, has been charged with multiple crimes, including sexual trafficking of a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, and possession of child pornography. Medic: 12 injured in reported assault at southwest Charlotte McDonald's At least four Westview Middle students have come forward, alleging Gerald engaged in inappropriate and illegal behavior, including explicit FaceTime calls, sexual contact at school, and harassment. St. Louis County Police said Gerald admitted to several of the accusations. Before working in Missouri, Gerald spent at least 16 years with CMS as a teacher and literacy coach. He later held positions in other districts in North Carolina and Missouri. In response to questions about Gerald's history, CMS issued this statement: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools follows standard hiring procedures. Positions are posted, interviews are conducted, and recommendations to hire are made. All new hires go through a criminal background check, drug test, and fingerprints through the Standard Bureau of Investigation. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Two law firms, identified as Simon Law and the O'Brien Law Firm, are now representing at least six victims from multiple school districts. They're encouraging others who may have been harmed, including outside Missouri, to come forward. 'We have information that his abuse spans more than one school district,' Boyd said in a written statement, released on Tuesday. 'That's why we are investigating Riverview Gardens School District's practices, and how they failed to take proactive and reactive measures to protect students.' City of York official on administrative leave, police lieutenant resigns after allegedly throwing eggs at vehicles and children Investigators believe Gerald's abuse could span several years and multiple states. Anyone with information is urged to contact St. Louis County Police at 314-615-5400. Queen City News has contacted CMS for more details about Gerald's time in the district and whether any concerns were raised during his 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Axios
3 days ago
- Axios
This crisis in Charlotte has killed 31 people in 2025
On a Friday in May, 73-year-old Bill Yoder was riding his recumbent bike, as the grandfather often did to maintain his independence. Traffic had backed up at the intersection of East Woodlawn Road that afternoon, halting a tractor-trailer in a fading crosswalk. Yoder attempted to move around the truck, as many cyclists might in that situation. But at the same time, the semi drove forward, striking Yoder. He died on the scene. The big picture: Charlotte's streets are becoming more dangerous, and Yoder's death has raised new alarm over the issue. Less than halfway into 2025, 31 people — including five cyclists and four pedestrians — have died in crashes, according to the city's latest data as of May 28. Including those that caused serious injury, there have been nine crashes involving cyclists this year — up from seven in 2024 and four in 2023. Only one case is reported for 2022 and 2021, each. What they're saying: Yoder was the father of a member of the Sustain Charlotte team, a nonprofit advocating for safer streets and overall smarter city growth. The organization is using his death to push for street improvements, arguing that traffic violence has become normalized. "If there was anything else happening in Charlotte that had caused 30 people to die, everybody would be talking about it," says Shannon Binns, Sustain Charlotte's executive director. The City of Charlotte has pledged to eliminate traffic deaths through the "Vision Zero" initiative it launched in 2019, investing millions in pedestrian crossings and hosting events to spread awareness of safe driving. Yes, but: There's no real goal or deadline for reaching zero. Charlotte doesn't have benchmarks for when it expects to reduce traffic fatalities, while the number of crashes is rising yearly. An internal audit, which Axios reported on last year, criticized the city for not executing the Vision Zero program effectively. Among the findings, it stated the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was not concentrating enforcement efforts in areas with the most deaths and injuries. CMPD made 7,223 motor unit stops in 2024 — a 41% drop from 2023, according to the department's annual report. Chief Johnny Jennings has said there's "not as much time to go out and enforce traffic as there used to be," and more resources, such as red light and speed cameras, would help. Charlotte City Council has not formally discussed the audit results, but the Charlotte Department of Transportation says a Vision Zero plan update is slated for the coming year. It may introduce new strategies to reduce crashes. Of 73 actions outlined in the audit, 43 actions (59%) have been completed, according to CDOT. Sixteen actions (22%) are in progress, and a small batch has not started, "largely due to resource constraints or shifts in priorities." By the numbers: Charlotte has recorded 76 crashes with fatalities or serious injuries so far in 2025, the Vision Zero dashboard shows. Between the lines: It's hard to pinpoint what's causing the increases. Potential factors could be the return of commuting since the pandemic, Charlotte's fast population growth and clashing driving styles from different regions, and reduced traffic enforcement. Exceeding the speed limit is the top contributing factor for Charlotte crashes, per the city's dashboard. What they're saying: Sustain Charlotte's Binns says city leaders aren't discussing the issue as much as they should. He calls it "a matter of political will." "If you are intentional about how you design your city and your mobility network, you can really almost eliminate these deaths and serious injuries," he says. "But you have to be intentional, and you have to be committed. They're not just going to go away." Zoom in: The intersection where Yoder died is flagged alarm-color red in the city's High Injury Network, a map of corridors with high rates of fatal and serious crashes. Despite being close to Sugar Creek Greenway and attracting many bikers and pedestrians, the area lacks dedicated bike lanes. CMPD is still investigating Yoder's May 9 crash. Once the crash report is complete, CDOT says it will conduct an engineering investigation to determine if improvements, like more markings or signs, are needed at East Woodlawn Road and Park Road. At the least, Binns suggests the city should add more paint and fresh bollards to create space between bikes and cars in problem areas. Those improvements would be quicker and less expensive than concrete changes. A more expensive but impactful option is "road diets," like the one starting soon on Matheson Avenue near NoDa. A 0.6-mile stretch, between North Tryon Street and Jordan Place, is being transitioned from four lanes to two to slow down cars and make the route safer for bikers and walkers. It's a $12.9-million undertaking. What's next: Mecklenburg County is working toward putting a 1-cent sales tax referendum on this November's election ballot. If passed, the tax would generate an estimated $19.4 billion over 30 years for transportation projects, not including potential federal matching dollars.