The RUC are investigating the deaths of two men in County Armagh. There is speculation their deaths could be linked to an ongoing feud in nearby Portadown. On January 10 last, Richard Jameson, alleged to be a leading member of the UVF, was shot dead outside his home near Portadown.
The bodies had been dumped under cover of darkness and were left lying yards apart on a country road, outside Tandragee, in County Armagh. The gruesome discovery was made at breakfastime by a local woman driving children to dancing class. Police said that the victims had sustained quite horrific injuries, suggesting they had been savagely beaten, and then shot in the head. A major RUC murder inquiry was launched and the area was sealed off for forensic examination. One of the dead was identified by police at the scene, while a number of people from Portadown, were assisting the RUC in identifying the second body.
Tandragee is a very quiet, predominantly Protestant area and local Unionist politicians said that the discovery of the bodies had caused extreme shock and distress in the town. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, said that he is deeply shocked at the murders. He also appealed for no retaliation and stressed the need to return to Ulster's political institutions as soon as possible.
