'Put us out of our misery' - Limerick father appeals for witnesses to son’s murder 11 years ago to contact gardaí
The father of an innocent teenager, beaten to death with an axe 11 years ago, is hoping recent advances in DNA technology will help bring his son’s killer to justice.
Jeffrey Hannan was murdered while on his way home from a night out in Southill, Limerick, on November 22, 2007.
He had no criminal links and was killed in an unprovoked attack when he met a group drinking at a bonfire near his home.
The killer bludgeoned Jeffrey (19) to death at the site of the bonfire and others helped drag his body across a green area in Southill and dump it by a wall.
Gardai tested DNA taken from Jeffrey’s family against a DNA sample found on Jeffrey’s socks but they did not match.
Jeffrey’s heartbroken father Alan said he believes the DNA from his son’s socks is central to delivering a positive breakthrough in the case.
“The DNA was on his socks. People dragged him across the green - you could see the trail of blood where he was dragged out over by the wall. They grabbed him by the legs and pulled him,” Mr Hannan said.
That DNA is there. If they arrest the right people and take their DNA, I’m a hundred per cent sure their DNA will match...there were six people there that night.
Over the years gardai have arrested 20 people as part of the murder probe yet nobody has ever been charged.
Four years ago a witness gave a statement to gardai with vital information about who was involved in the gruesome murder.
The witness’s statement led to the arrest of six people but all six were released without charge.
“I can’t understand it. The gardai interviewed the witness but the DPP wouldn't go with it,” Mr Hannan said.
“I wrote to the DPP asking why, and I got a letter back stating they hadn’t enough evidence.”
This witness is 100% genuine. They feared for their own family, but they told me they couldn’t live with it anymore and they couldn’t sleep at night and they were having nightmares over it.
The chief suspect for the murder continues to walk around the local community a free man, Mr Hannan said.
Nikita, Jeffrey’s 12-year old daughter “sees the person who killed her father two or three times a week and she gets very upset over it”.
“He knows we know. It’s crazy.”
“The past eleven years have been torture, and while people might say time is a healer, it doesn’t heal anything. It gets worse and worse every year,” added Mr Hannan.
“It’s hard especially now around Jeffrey’s anniversary and with Christmas coming up. Nikita talks about him seven days a week. She has a hard time..thinking about it and breaking down.“
“She’ll be making her Confirmation in February; it should be a happy day but it’ll be another bad day for her without her father with her.”
Last Christmas heartbroken Nikita penned a Santa letter asking for him to bring her only one present, her father.
Brave Nikita made this appeal for information about his murder on his anniversary last year: “Simone people are afraid, or they might like they ratted. I know where they are coming from, but, they also need to help my family out, and help me. Step one day in my shoes and you’ll feel (my trauma).”
Making a fresh appeal for help, Jeffrey’s father said: “I’m appealing to anyone with the information to pass it on to the gardai and put us out of our misery.”
“The gardai know who did it and the community know who did it,” he claimed.
Mr Hannan said he hopes to organise a public march in the New Year in Limerick supporting families seeking justice for their murdered loved ones.
Gardai investigating Mr Hannan’s murder can be contacted on 061-214340. Information about the killing can also be passed onto the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111.
