The case against alleged killer Kevin Conway, who was murdered earlier this week, is to be formally withdrawn by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
Lawyers for the 26-year-old were due to apply for a bail variation at Craigavon Magistrates on Friday.
But defence solicitor Patrick Madden confirmed in court that “he was tragically murdered earlier this week”.
Mr Madden suggested adjourning the case for a week before the murder charge against Conway can be formally withdrawn.
The PPS lawyer agreed, adding that “there are formal steps that need to be taken”, such as filing a death certificate.
Conway, from Deeney Walk in Lurgan, had been on bail for almost a year accused of the murder of Shane Whitla when he was gunned down at his west Belfast bail address on Tuesday evening.
The brief mention of the case against Conway came on the first anniversary of the killing of Shane Whitla.
Two other men, Joshua Cotter (29), from Madrid Street in Belfast and Jake O’Brien, from Church Walk in Lurgan, are still charged with murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
According to the police case there is a “working hypothesis” the trio of alleged killers are “active members” of an organised crime gang known as ‘The Firm’ and that the shooting of Mr Whitla (39) was as a result of a drugs feud over a debt.
Detectives have claimed that Conway called Mr Whitla four times on 12 January and it was those calls which caused the father-of-four to go to an alleyway off Woodville Street where he was shot, allegedly by Cotter and O’Brien.
While the police believe they can link Conway to a mobile which was in contact with Mr Whitla before the murder and with O’Brien both before and after the killing, detectives further claim CCTV evidence place O’Brien and Cotter close to the scene.
In court on Friday, District Judge Francis Rafferty adjourned the case against Conway to next Friday.