John Concannon is officially identified

A 16-month nightmare for the family of the late John Concannon is finally over after humans remains discovered on the Lenamore Road on March 11 were formally identified by the PSNI as belonging to their missing loved one.
John Concannon.John Concannon.
John Concannon.

John’s brother Michael Concannon said the family have been told that a final coroner’s report into the Derry pensioner’s death is expected today, Tuesday, March 28.

Once this has been completed John’s body can finally be returned to his family for burial, some time this week, it is hoped.

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Mr. Concannon said the formal identification of his brother had been a lengthy process,

He said a police liaison officer had suggested to the family that specialist laboratories in England may have had to be utilised, thus delaying the identification somewhat.

“He has now been formally identified” said Mr. Concannon yesterday.

“The coroner is expected to give his final report tomorrow [Tuesday],” he added.

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“It’s probably going to be the end of the week before the body’s released and things are still a bit up in the air,” he added.

Detectives in Strand Road confirmed that “a formal identification of the remains found in the Lenamore Road area of the city on Saturday, March 11, has now taken place and they are that of missing man John Concannon”.

The PSNI said: “Mr. Concannon was last seen in the Lenamore Road/Beragh Hill area of the city in November 2015. He was 71 at the time.

“Mr. Concannon’s family have been informed.”

The 71-year-old, who suffered from dementia in his later years, was last seen getting off the Fernabbey bus on the Lenamore Road on November 10, 2015.

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Over two weeks ago his remains were discovered by a member of the public just a few hundred yards from where he would have got off the Fernabbey bus. His family were convinced from day one that they had finally found their lost loved one as his remains bore a checked shirt and a watch he had been wearing when he disappeared.

But although a post mortem and a number of other tests were completed by March 15 police advised it would take seven to ten days for the results to come in.

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