Child killer Robert Howard, found to have murdered teenager Arlene Arkinson three decades ago, was “free to roam” a border area and was an informant for the security forces, a former police officer believes.
The still missing 15-year-old from Castlederg, Co Tyrone, disappeared in August 1994 following a night out in Bundoran.
Following years of inquest hearings, delayed in part due to police objections to certain evidence being delivered in public, it was found Ms Arkinson was murdered by Howard in 1994.
In 2002, he was charged with murder, but acquitted in 2005.
Her family is calling for a public inquiry, a move largely supported by former Kent Police Detective Chief Inspector Colin Murray, who led the investigation into the murder of another of Howard’s victims, 14-year-old Hannah Williams.
Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long has ruled out a public inquiry, citing the long running inquest hearings and a Police Ombudsman’s report that criticised the initial 1994 investigation after Ms Atkinson first went missing.
Ms Williams was murdered after going missing in April 2001 in Dartford, Kent.
Her body was discovered in March the following year and Howard was later convicted of the murder. Originally from Co Laois, he died in 2015, aged 71.
The 2018 ombudsman’s report, which noted Ms Arkinson was last seen in Howard’s company, concluded: “The grounds to arrest this man were available within 48 hours of Arlene being reported missing.
“His statement to the missing person inquiry included a number of inconsistencies; he was on bail for serious sexual offences and had been convicted of a number of sexual crimes.”
He was first arrested 46 days after Ms Arkinson went missing.
Mr Murray, who was involved in the later investigation into Howard that led to the charge of murder of Ms Arkinson, said the killer was unemployed but always had access to money.
“I think he was a low level informant for the police or the security forces, free to roam in the Castlederg area and giving information,” the ex-officer told the BBC.
“I do not think he was a significant informant but certainly there was a connection between him and the police service.”
Mr Murray said he does not know whether Howard was protected but there are still questions to be answered and there should be some type of independent inquiry.
“I feel the family had been let down by the police, more effort should have been put into that investigation – if it had have been they may have recovered forensic evidence that would have been telling,” he added.
Mr Murray added he often wonders whether he should have went to meet Howard in prison to attempt to try and persuade him to “give up the body”.
On the eve of the 30th anniversary of Ms Arkinson’s disappearance, her sister Kathleen Arkinson said she still believes that some day she will be found despite the death of the man responsible for her murder.
The family’s legal representative, Des Doherty, said the path out of what he described as the family’s “legal limbo” is a public inquiry.
Justice Minister Long previously met with the Arkinson family and said she “fully appreciates the past 30 years have been deeply traumatic”.
“My decision not to establish a public inquiry was taken after very careful consideration of everything that had been put before me, both verbally and in writing, by the Arkinson family and by their legal representative,” she said.
“I also took account of the coroner’s detailed inquest findings, the Police Ombudsman report into the handling of the police investigation into Arlene’s disappearance, and the significant changes to police missing person policies.”
In a statement, the PSNI said the investigation into the disappearance and murder was “dedicated and extensive, and we share genuine frustrations that Arlene’s body was never found”.
“While all active lines of enquiry have concluded, it is not too late for anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward,” a spokesperson added.
