AN INVESTIGATION by BBC Spotlight into the murder of 37 year-old Belfast man John George has identified two suspects believed by Spanish police to be involved in the killing.
26 year-old Jonny Smyth, also from Belfast but living in Spain, and 32 year-old Czech national Michael Maly have been named as the main persons of interest in the case.
While Maly – a former member of the French Foreign Legion – has been arrested and appeared in court over the murder, Smyth has been named as a fugitive in international arrest warrants after he fled the Spanish jurisdiction. No one has yet been convicted of the crime.
John George went missing for a total of 21 days during December, before his body was discovered in the Alicante region of the country. His father Billy says he believes that John’s drug addiction contributed to his decision to associate with criminality.
John’s body was eventually discovered in a lemon grove in the small town of Rojales near Alicante. He had been beaten and stabbed before he was killed by a number of gunshots to the chest and head.
The fact that John had travelled to Spain, ostensibly for a holiday, before disappearing led to huge interest from amateur sleuths and true crime enthusiasts who followed the family’s updates on the case closely on social media. He had been staying in Jonny Smyth’s home at the time of his disappearance.
Colonel Antonio Darder from the Guardia Civil told BBC Spotlight: “I want the family to understand that the work done from day one was intense and in the end we managed to find the body of the deceased.
“We now have a clear suspect and are hoping that he will soon be arrested. The international arrest warrants have already been issued. Wherever he is hiding, we will use all international mechanisms available; Interpol and any other means necessary.”
See More: Alicante, Belfast, Guardia Civil, John George, Murder
