Twenty four days after west Belfast man John George was first reported missing, his family’s search appears to have ended in both tragedy and relief.
A body believed to be that of Mr George, a 37-year-old father-of-two from Twinbrook, has been discovered in Spain.
The grim conclusion marks the end of a harrowing journey that began with hope but unravelled into a tale of unanswered questions and suspected foul play. But there will be relief too that a body will finally be coming home to Northern Ireland.
John George, also known as John Hardy, had travelled to Spain in early December for a holiday.
According to his family, his plans were straightforward — a drive from Alicante to the popular tourism hotspot town of Benidorm.
However, on December 14, he contacted his loved ones for the last time, mentioning that he was still planning to head to Benidorm. Four days later, he was due to board a flight from Alicante back to Belfast — but he never checked in.
The first signs of unease crept in as his absence stretched into days.
By December 23, his family had launched a GoFundMe campaign to aid a search, voicing concerns that he might have been the victim of a crime.
“Each day without contact makes things harder,” his sister Courtney George told the Belfast Telegraph.
She said his disappearance was very out of character for her brother and that they are trying to “stay positive” but were increasingly concerned for his safety.
Her words echoed the family’s collective anxiety as they began travelling to Spain to search for him.
By Christmas Eve, their fears deepened. A video emerged on social media showing Mr George in an apartment, appearing intoxicated and dressed in a baseball cap and T-shirt.
Spanish authorities believed that a criminal now residing in Spain might have vital information about John’s whereabouts — but attempts to locate the individual proved fruitless.
As the days passed, the case took a darker turn. Days later, Spanish police officially declared John’s disappearance a crime, and a luxury apartment, believed to be the last place he was seen, was sealed off as a crime scene.
Two men present were questioned but not arrested. By then, John’s father had come to an anguished acceptance that his son “is likely dead”.
In late December, Courtney also told the Sunday Life that she believed her brother had been murdered and his body hidden. The same day, police in Spain revealed their belief that John had been shot dead before Christmas.
It was also reported that the two main suspects in his disappearance were blaming each other and had refused to hand over the location of Mr George’s body to either the family or the Spanish authorities.
The new year brought further developments but no closure. Early in January, one suspect linked to the disappearance skipped bail in Spain and returned to Northern Ireland — on the same flight as John’s partner.
After this, a young woman who was in John’s company prior to his disappearance posted a video online denying involvement and saying she had passed any information she had on to police.
Back in Belfast, the family were gaining support, with friends holding vigils and making emotional appeals online, keeping John’s disappearance firmly in the spotlight.
While convinced he was dead, John’s family remained adamant they wouldn’t be returning to Northern Ireland without a body.
The PSNI also joined the investigation, issuing an appeal and opening an online portal for information, while search and rescue teams from Northern Ireland headed to Spain to assist with rescue dogs.
Not long afterwards, and with suspicions that suspects had left Spain or were planning to, Interpol became involved.
As the search continued, one of the suspects linked to Mr George’s disappearance made a phone call to the victim’s family, claiming he had been shot and left somewhere between Torrevieja and Benidorm.
The call to relatives alleged that a gun was used but taken away by one of the suspects, who said they would “clean it”.
In a recording of the phone call, the person stated: “You don’t understand how much I know this needs to come out.”
The person then claims that at 10pm on December 14 John left their apartment uninjured with another man.
Now it appears his family’s persistence has finally paid off after the Spanish authorities located a body, believed to be John’s.
The discovery brings a sombre end to a case that has gripped both Northern Ireland and Spain, highlighting the immense challenges families face when loved ones go missing abroad.
The family’s search for a body becomes a search for justice.