Latest news with #SaraRutledge


BBC News
20 hours ago
- BBC News
Maguiresbridge: Murder victims will be buried together in County Clare
Vanessa Whyte and her two children, who were murdered in County Fermanagh, will be buried together in her home town in County Clare. The 45-year-old and her children, 14-year-old James Rutledge and 13-year-old Sara Rutledge, were shot and killed in their home in Maguiresbridge on Monday night the man suspected of killing them, Ian Rutledge (43) died in hospital. Last week police said a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was one line of inquiry for detectives. Prayer service held in County Clare for mother and childrenSchool to remember murdered brother and sister 'for years to come'Childminder said she loved murdered children 'like they were her own'Shooting victim was 'devoted mum to Sara and James' Funeral arrangements for Ms Whyte and her children were announced on Monday night. In a post on social media the funeral directors said: "People attending the service of removal and funeral Mass are asked to please wear bright and cheerful colours in their memory."A service of removal will take place at St Mary's Church in Maguiresbridge at 11:00 BST on Wednesday 30 funeral Mass will be held in Vanessa Whyte's home town of Barefield, County Clare on Saturday 2 August."Following Mass, Vanessa, James and Sara will be laid to rest together in Templemaley Cemetery," they said. Emergency services were called to their home on the Drummeer Road on Wednesday morning. Two of the victims were declared dead at the scene and a third victim died later that day in after the attack, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told a news conference a man from the same household was in hospital with gunshot wounds. The PSNI's district commander said that no arrests had been made and at that stage it was not anticipated that any would be made. On Monday, detectives investigating the shooting reiterated their appeal for "anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward". On Saturday, they issued an appeal over the movements of a silver Mercedes between Maguiresbridge and Newtownbutler on the day before the shootings. Tributes to murder victims Sara and James were both students at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and were former pupils of Maguiresbridge Primary School in their home of mourners attended a vigil for the family in the primary school's grounds on Friday. Several senior politicians were present as religious representatives addressed the vigil, and a minute's silence was held as a mark of respect for the victims. A prayer service also took place on Sunday evening at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Barefield, County the service, the parish priest, Fr Tom Fitzpatrick, told mourners:"Let us remember Vanessa not just by the way she died, but by the life she lived, her smile, her strength, her incredible powerful love for her children. "She gave it her all to the very end.""We remember James and Sara, not just as victims of violence, but as children who played and who laughed and had their favourite stories, of course favourite foods I'm sure as well, and great dreams," he added."Dreams that will never be fulfilled, but dreams that mattered because they were theirs."If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, details of organisations that can offer help and support are available on the BBC Action Line.


BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Suspect in Maguiresbridge triple murder dies
The man who was suspected of murdering his family in County Fermanagh has died in hospital. Vanessa Whyte and her children, James and Sara Rutledge, were shot and killed in their home in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday Whyte, who was 45, was a veterinary surgeon while James and Sara were 14 and 13 Rutledge, who was 43 and an agricultural contractor, is understood to have taken his own life as part of a suspected triple murder and suicide attempt. Prayer service held in County Clare for mother and childrenSchool to remember murdered brother and sister 'for years to come'Childminder said she loved murdered children 'like they were her own'Shooting victim was 'devoted mum to Sara and James' Police said he was taken to hospital on Wednesday 23 July, where he remained in a serious condition until his death on Monday evening. Two of the victims were declared dead at the scene in the house on the Drummeer Road on Wednesday morning and a third victim died later that day in after the attack, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told a press conference a man from the same household was in hospital with gunshot wounds. The PSNI's district commander said that no arrests had been made and at that stage it was not anticipated that any would be confirmed to reporters that a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was one line of inquiry for Saturday, police issued an appeal over the movements of a silver Mercedes between Maguiresbridge and Newtownbutler on the day before the shootings. Sara and James were both students at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and were former pupils of Maguiresbridge Primary School in their home of mourners attended a vigil for the family in the primary school's grounds on Friday. Several senior politicians were present as religious representatives addressed the vigil, and a minute's silence was held as a mark of respect for the victims. The children's mother was originally from Barefield, County Clare, in the Republic of Ireland.A prayer service took place on Sunday evening at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the the service, the parish priest in Barefield, Fr Tom Fitzpatrick, told mourners:"Let us remember Vanessa not just by the way she died, but by the life she lived, her smile, her strength, her incredible powerful love for her children. "She gave it her all to the very end.""We remember James and Sara, not just as victims of violence, but as children who played and who laughed and had their favourite stories, of course favourite foods I'm sure as well, and great dreams," he added."Dreams that will never be fulfilled, but dreams that mattered because they were theirs."


BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Maguiresbridge: Prayer service to be held in County Clare for mother and children
A prayer service will be held on Sunday in County Clare, for a mother and two children killed in a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide in County Fermanagh. Vanessa Whyte, 45, her 13-year-old daughter Sara Rutledge and her 14-year-old son James Rutledge died after they were shot at their Maguiresbridge home on Whyte was originally from Barefield, County prayer service will take place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the village at 19:00 BST. The shooting happened in a rural area about 75 miles (121km) west of Belfast and about eight miles from the county's largest town, of the victims were declared dead at the scene on Wednesday morning and a third died later in hospital.A man - who is a member of the same household - is being treated for serious gunshot injuries at the Royal Victoria Hospital in said no arrests had been made and it was not anticipated that any would be added that the investigation was at an early stage, but a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was one line of inquiry for Saturday, police issued an appeal in relation to the movements of a silver Mercedes between Maguiresbridge and Newtownbutler on the day before the shootings. 'Hard-working colleague and devoted mum' Ms Whyte was an experienced veterinary surgeon, at the time of her death she was employed by Stormont's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).But before taking that role, the mother-of-two spent about eight years working at Lakeland Vets in Derrygonnelly, County "enthusiastic, hard-working colleague" and a "devoted mum" to Sara and James. Both children attended Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and were members of local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) teams and Enniskillen Cricket Club.A book of condolences opened on Friday morning at Maguiresbridge Primary School, where James and Sara previously attended.A vigil was held in the primary school grounds on Friday evening. Enniskillen Royal Grammar also opened its doors on Friday for staff and pupils to meet and write in a book of memories about James and Elizabeth Armstrong said the school had been left "stunned and shocked at the loss of two wonderful young people"."They were just full of life, they were both such lively and intelligent, funny young people," she said. 'Long association' with club In a social media post, St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield GAA Club said they were "shocked" and "saddened" to hear of the tragic passing of Vanessa and her two said the Whyte family had a "long association" with the club and Ms Whyte herself had been a "very accomplished camogie player".


BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Maguiresbridge murders: Police issue fresh appeal for information
Police investigating the murder of a mother and her two children in County Fermanagh have issued an appeal for information involving the movements of a silver Mercedes Whyte, 45, her 13-year-old daughter Sara Rutledge and her 14-year-old son James Rutledge died after they were shot at their home in Maguiresbridge on Ch Insp Neil McGuinness said police wanted anyone who saw a car matching the description in the Clones Road area of Newtownbutler, or between Maguiresbridge and Newtownbutler on Tuesday evening to contact them."Anyone who was travelling in the area and who may have captured dash-cam footage which could assist, please get in touch," he said. "Our investigation is ongoing and we are working tirelessly to determine the exact circumstances of this tragedy," he Ch Insp McGuinness also asked the public if they had any information that may be of use to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to come shooting happened in a rural area about 75 miles (121km) west of Belfast and about eight miles from the county's largest town, of the victims were declared dead at the scene on Wednesday morning and a third died later in hospital.A man - who is a member of the same household - is being treated for serious gunshot injuries at the Royal Victoria Hospital in said no arrests had been made and it was not anticipated that any would be added that the investigation was at an early stage, but a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was one line of inquiry for detectives.


The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Vigil held for mother and children killed in Co Fermanagh
A vigil was held in Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, to honour Vanessa Whyte and her two children. Vanessa Whyte, 45, along with her children, Sara Rutledge, 13, and James Rutledge, 14, were fatally shot. Their deaths are being investigated as a suspected triple murder. The incident occurred at their home on Wednesday. The vigil took place at Maguiresbridge Primary School, where James and Sara had previously been pupils. Watch video above.