A new law to encourage killers to reveal the location of their victims’ remains is set to be introduced during this Stormont mandate.
The proposed Charlotte’s Law is named after murder victim Charlotte Murray, 34, from Co Tyrone, whose remains have never been found despite searches.
Her former fiance John Miller, 53, a chef from Redford Park in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, was found guilty of her murder by a jury at Dungannon Crown Court in 2019.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said her department plans to bring forward legislative measures in a Sentencing Bill during the remainder of the 2022-2027 mandate.
An excavator at a flooded quarry near to Benburb in Co Tyrone during a search for missing murder victim Charlotte Murray (PA)
She published the Way Forward on Charlotte’s Law and responses to a public consultation on Friday.
It follows a campaign by Ms Murray’s family, supported by the family of Co Down woman Lisa Dorrian, 25, believed to have been murdered in 2005, whose remains have never been found.
Ms Long said: “I have given the responses to the consultation questions very careful consideration. I have also taken account of the families’ desire to be heard throughout the process.
“The Charlotte’s Law provisions will provide encouragement to those suspected of, charged with and sentenced for a ‘no-body’ killing to give details of the location of their victims’ remains or how the remains were disposed of.”
Ms Murray’s mother Mary and sister Sinead Corrigan welcomed the progress.
“Shortly after we began our campaign, we were contacted by the Dorrian family who unfortunately had been suffering the same ordeal as ourselves for much longer, but without any justice as no one had ever been convicted or even put before a court for the murder of Lisa,” they said.
“We have been fortunate to sit down with the Dorrian family and officials from the Department of Justice to discuss many aspects of the proposed Charlotte’s Law, which we feel will benefit not only our families, but any future families who find themselves in this unfortunate set of circumstances.”
Lisa Dorrian who has been missing since 2005 (Handout/PSNI/PA)
They added: “This is not something we could ever have imagined we would have to suffer, have to endure or fight for, but we hope that the legislation, once implemented, would best serve anyone in these tragic circumstances.
“Whilst we have justice with Johnny Miller behind bars serving a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 16 years, we just want him to reveal the location of Charlotte’s remains so that we can lay her to rest, like she deserves.
“We hope and pray that the provisions of Charlotte’s Law will provide this, as every other effort to date has failed.”