14.1.05
Belfast Telegraph
Man quizzed over murder of teenagers is found dead
By Chris Thornton
14 January 2005
A man questioned about the loyalist murders of teenagers Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine has been found dead.
Noel Dillon, who had been arrested over the butchering of the teenagers in February 2000 near Tandragee, is believed to have taken his own life.
Dillon, who was in his forties, was found dead at a house in the Hamiltownsbawn Road, Armagh, on Monday at teatime.
He was buried yesterday after a funeral service at Ballymore Parish Church outside Tandragee.
Dillon was one of a number of men arrested after the two teenagers were found stabbed repeatedly on a road outside Tandragee.
UVF members were blamed for the killings. It has been alleged that they murdered the teenagers after being unable to locate two LVF members they intended to kill as part of a feud.
A number of items were also seized from Dillon's home.
He was questioned by police and later released. Portadown-area residents say he left Tandragee shortly afterwards and may have lived in the Republic for some time.
He is understood to have been living in Belfast at the time of his death.
"He came from a decent family," said one friend. "They would have had no truck with what happened."
A member of the McIlwaine family said: "Even if he was involved in David's killing, this is not something we would have wanted. We don't want any other families to suffer the way we've suffered."
Last year police began new forensic tests on items seized at the time of the killings.
The PSNI has refused to comment on the tests, but it is believed they hoped recent advances in forensic science would yield new evidence.
It is not known whether items seized from Dillon's home were among the evidence submitted for new testing.
Another man was charged in connection with the killings, but the charge was later dropped.
No one has been convicted in connection with deaths.
The Police Ombudsman is currently looking into police handling of the probe.
Man quizzed over murder of teenagers is found dead
By Chris Thornton
14 January 2005
A man questioned about the loyalist murders of teenagers Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine has been found dead.
Noel Dillon, who had been arrested over the butchering of the teenagers in February 2000 near Tandragee, is believed to have taken his own life.
Dillon, who was in his forties, was found dead at a house in the Hamiltownsbawn Road, Armagh, on Monday at teatime.
He was buried yesterday after a funeral service at Ballymore Parish Church outside Tandragee.
Dillon was one of a number of men arrested after the two teenagers were found stabbed repeatedly on a road outside Tandragee.
UVF members were blamed for the killings. It has been alleged that they murdered the teenagers after being unable to locate two LVF members they intended to kill as part of a feud.
A number of items were also seized from Dillon's home.
He was questioned by police and later released. Portadown-area residents say he left Tandragee shortly afterwards and may have lived in the Republic for some time.
He is understood to have been living in Belfast at the time of his death.
"He came from a decent family," said one friend. "They would have had no truck with what happened."
A member of the McIlwaine family said: "Even if he was involved in David's killing, this is not something we would have wanted. We don't want any other families to suffer the way we've suffered."
Last year police began new forensic tests on items seized at the time of the killings.
The PSNI has refused to comment on the tests, but it is believed they hoped recent advances in forensic science would yield new evidence.
It is not known whether items seized from Dillon's home were among the evidence submitted for new testing.
Another man was charged in connection with the killings, but the charge was later dropped.
No one has been convicted in connection with deaths.
The Police Ombudsman is currently looking into police handling of the probe.
