Maguiresbridge: Service of removal for murder victims to be held

BBC News

5 days ago

A service of removal for Vanessa Whyte and her two children, who were murdered in Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, will take place in the village later.The 45-year-old and her children, 14-year-old James Rutledge and 13-year-old Sara Rutledge, were shot and killed in their home in Maguiresbridge last Wednesday.On Monday night, the man suspected of killing them, 43-year-old Ian Rutledge died in hospital. Following the shootings, police said a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was one line of inquiry for detectives.
The service will see prayers said at St Mary's Church before the remains are taken to County Clare where a funeral Mass will take place on Saturday.
Funeral arrangements for Ms Whyte and her children were announced on Monday night. In a post on social media the funeral directors said: "People attending the service of removal and funeral Mass are asked to please wear bright and cheerful colours in their memory."The funeral Mass will be held in Ms Whyte's home town of Barefield in County Clare."Following Mass, Vanessa, James and Sara will be laid to rest together in Templemaley Cemetery," the funeral directors said.
Emergency services were called to the home of Ms Whyte and her children on the Drummeer Road on 23 July. Two of the victims were declared dead at the scene and a third victim died later that day in hospital.Hours after the attack, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told a news conference a man from the same household was in hospital with gunshot wounds.
A senior officer said no arrests had been made and at that stage it was not anticipated any would be made. On Monday, detectives investigating the shooting reiterated their appeal for "anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward". On Saturday, they issued an appeal over the movements of a silver Mercedes between Maguiresbridge and Newtownbutler on the day before the shootings.
Sara and James were both students at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and were former pupils of Maguiresbridge Primary School in their home village.Crowds of mourners attended a vigil for the family in the primary school's grounds on Friday. Several senior politicians were present as religious representatives addressed the vigil, and a minute's silence was held as a mark of respect for the victims.
A prayer service took place on Sunday evening at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Barefield.During the service, the parish priest, Fr Tom Fitzpatrick, told mourners: "Let us remember Vanessa not just by the way she died, but by the life she lived, her smile, her strength, her incredible powerful love for her children. "She gave it her all to the very end."We remember James and Sara, not just as victims of violence, but as children who played and who laughed and had their favourite stories, of course favourite foods I'm sure as well, and great dreams."Dreams that will never be fulfilled, but dreams that mattered because they were theirs."If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, details of organisations that can offer help and support are available on the BBC Action Line.