Nearly 30 years after a nine year-old girl was abducted and killed in Co Antrim, a 62 year-old man has been charged with her murder.
Papers were served on Robert Black at a prison in England relating to his first court appearance, which is expected early in the New Year.
The man is to face the charge of killing nine year-old Jennifer Cardy, from Ballinderry, Co Antrim, in Northern Ireland, in August 1981.
She was cycling to a friend's house when she was snatched.
Her red bike was later found in a field close to her home.
The youngster's disappearance triggered a major search operation, with local people helping police comb the countryside.
At a time when violence cut deep divisions through Northern Ireland, the effort to find Jennifer united communities in a way seldom seen during the Troubles.
Her body was eventually found six days later by two fishermen at McKee's Dam near the village of Hillsborough, which is around 10 miles from where she vanished.
A post-mortem examination revealed she had been drowned and had been in the water for days.
The accused, who is originally from Scotland but now resides in England, was working as a van driver in Northern Ireland at the time of Jennifer's disappearance.
He was served with summons papers yesterday and his hearing is expected to be held in Northern Ireland at the end of January.
Jennifer's family today released a statement saying they did not wish to comment on the latest development in the case.
