Change At The Top of ‘Disappeared’ Investigations Team.
28 April 2025
The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) has announced that Jon Hill who has been with the ICLVR since 2006 has retired as Lead Investigator, a post he has held since 2023.
Mr Hill indicated to the Commission towards the end of last year that he intended to stand down in the spring of 2025.
The ICLVR was set up in 1999 following the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement to locate and recover the remains of those abducted, murdered and secretly buried during the Troubles, known as the Disappeared.
To date the remains of 13 Disappeared have been recovered from a total of 17.
His successor is Eamonn Henry (pictured below) who served with An Garda Síochána for over 30 years, 11 of which was as a Detective Inspector with the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
He was the Garda Liaison to the ICLVR from June 2013 to February 2017 and joined the ICLVR investigations team in 2023.
Paying tribute to Jon Hill the joint UK and Irish Commissioners Rosalie Flanagan and Tim Dalton said:
“Jon has made a huge contribution to the success of the ICLVR going back nearly 20 years of dedicated service.
He allied investigative skills of a high order with his absolute determination to do everything in his power to return the remains of the Disappeared to their families.
Beyond that he formed a close bond of trust and affection with the Families of the Disappeared.
We are grateful that Jon will continue to support the work of the Commission in an advisory capacity and we wish him and his family well”
Jon Hill thanked Commissioners, past and present and the two Governments, as well as all who have worked with the Commission for their support.
Commenting on his decision to retire he said:
“It is with a feeling of mixed emotions I have decided to step down from my position as Lead Investigator with the Commission.
As the last remaining member of the founding team established in 2006 and almost 19 years in post I now find the work/home life balance impossible to maintain.
The Families and The Commission has been a part of my life for so long now that it is hard to imagine life without it.
I am incredibly proud and honoured to have been a part of the success that the Commission has been but now find that commitment working away from home is detracting too much from my own life with my family.
Going forward I have agreed to provide such help or advice they might feel is useful on an advisory basis without the responsibility of managing the team, the investigations and the demands on my time that brings.
I have every confidence that Eamonn and the team will continue to make every effort to resolve the four remaining cases”.
On Eamonn Henry’s appointment the ICLVR Commissioners said:
“Both as Garda Liaison and subsequently as a member of the investigations team, Eamonn has both the experience and the skills needed to take the Commission’s humanitarian work forward.
We look forward to working with Eamonn as Lead Investigator and wish him and the investigations team well as they work to resolve the remaining cases”.
Mr Henry said:
“I am honoured and privileged to take up the role of Lead Investigator with the ICLVR following on from the tremendous work of the previous lead investigators Jon Hill and Geoff Knupfer.
My commitment is to the families of the Disappeared and the ICLVR team is focused on our mission to recover the remains of all 17 victims called The Disappeared.
Therefore I am appealing to anyone who has any information concerning the location of the remains of Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire to come forward to the Commission and we will treat all information received in the strictest confidence.
I am appealing to those persons with information to think of the grieving families who have lived with their grief for so long.
It is time to return their loved ones to their families for a Christian burial.”
Anyone with information on the four outstanding Disappeared cases —Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire— should contact the ICLVR on +353 1 602 8655 or Secretary@iclvr.ie or ICLVR PO Box 10827 Dublin, Ireland.
All information is treated in the strictest confidence.
Ends.
Contact: Dennis Godfrey (ICLVR): +44 7771 642348.
