Three men have been acquitted of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee, who was fatally shot in Derry in April 2019. Paul McIntyre, Peter Cavanagh, and Jordan Gareth Devine, all from Derry, were cleared of charges related to McKee’s death following a two-year trial at Belfast Crown Court. The judge, Mrs Justice Smyth, delivered the verdict on Friday, citing insufficient evidence to support the prosecution’s case.

The trio faced charges of joint enterprise murder, accused of accompanying and encouraging a lone gunman who fired the fatal bullet during disturbances in the Creggan area of Londonderry on April 18, 2019. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the killing, but the individual who pulled the trigger has not been identified or brought to justice.

McKee’s partner, Sara Canning, who was present in court, expressed profound disappointment and frustration with the outcome. Speaking after the verdict, she described the trial as a prolonged ordeal that ultimately failed to deliver justice. “We have gone through a full two years of a trial, and from watching the evidence, most of us felt like we were going to be coming out of there having some degree of justice, and instead we came up with nothing, which is just a kick in the teeth,” Canning said. She added that the experience left her feeling “gutted,” having held onto hope for justice throughout the process, only to see it dashed.

Canning also addressed the unidentified gunman directly, condemning the killing and urging the individual to reckon with the consequences of their actions. She said, “You took the life of somebody who has contributed more to this world than you ever will. You should be ashamed, and I hope it haunts your every waking minute.” She expressed a belief in some form of karmic justice, despite the absence of legal accountability.

The verdict marks a significant moment in the ongoing case surrounding McKee’s death, which drew widespread attention for its connection to lingering paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland. While the trial’s conclusion leaves questions unanswered, authorities and observers continue to grapple with the challenges of prosecuting politically sensitive cases amid deeply complex social and security dynamics in the region.