A murder investigation has been launched in Spain after the body of a 37-year-old man from Northern Ireland was discovered three weeks after his disappearance.
John George (main image), a father of two from Belfast, had travelled to Spain for a short visit in December. Concerns arose when he failed to board his return flight on 18 December. ALSO READ: Search efforts continue for Belfast man missing in Spain.
Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland, his brother Darren George described their parents as ‘two broken people’. He said, ‘They will never get over this, none of us will. John’s at rest … we’re not, we’ll never be at rest.’
Spanish authorities arrested a 32-year-old man shortly after the body was found on Tuesday, with a detention extension approved on Wednesday night. Reports suggest the Guardia Civil is investigating whether another suspect, also from Northern Ireland, fled to Thailand.
The body was found near Rojales, about 45 minutes south of Alicante. A large search party of around 50 people, including George’s parents, sisters, uncles, cousins, friends, and other relatives, had travelled to Spain to search the area.
A volunteer canine search team, K9 Search and Rescue from Northern Ireland, also joined the effort on New Year’s Day before returning home last weekend.
In a social media post, George’s sister Courtney expressed her grief: ‘My body is numb and my heart is broken. You have taken my brother’s life and ruined mine – you have put us through hell. I hope John’s face haunts whoever did this every night.’
Darren George described the past three weeks as a ‘living nightmare’, saying, ‘there are no words to describe what we’ve been going through as a family’. He recounted how the search party combed mountains, drainpipes and sewers in their desperate bid to locate his brother. ‘I’ve done everything in my power to find my brother, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking,’ he added.
Kevin Winters, the family’s lawyer, revealed that George’s father received confirmation from Spanish police on Tuesday that a body had been found.
Reports in Spanish media stated that the body was discovered among trees near Rojales. George had last been in contact with his family on 14 December during what was described as a ‘distressing’ phone call. He was reported missing four days later.
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