Man's family gets body site 'map'

By Barbara Collins BBC News

Gerry Evans was last seen in County Monaghan in 1979

The family of a Crossmaglen man who went missing 29 years ago has been given a map showing where his body might be.

Gerry Evans, 24, is listed as one of the Disappeared. His family have never been told what happened to him, or where he might be buried.

He was last seen hitching a lift in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, on Sunday 25 March, 1979.

In March this year, a note and the map were given to his aunt.

Gerry Evans's brother, Noel, told the BBC his aunt was given the A4 white card with a drawing of where the body was claimed to be and a message which read: "This is where I believe Gerry to be buried. I hope this helps and God bless you all."

The document was taken to the Gardai before being passed on to the Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains.

Noel Evans and a commission representative visited the alleged site, which is being kept secret while tests are carried out.

Before a dig can start, demographical maps need to be checked to see if the site, as described, existed 30 years ago.

Scientific equipment will be used to check for any soil disruption and sniffer dogs will also inspect the area.

It could take up to a year for this work to be completed.

In 1999, the IRA admitted it abducted and murdered nine of the Disappeared who went missing in the 1970s and early 80s.

The bodies of four of those people have since been recovered.

However, no-one has ever admitted killing a number of other missing men, including Mr Evans.

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