A 21-year-old student from Co Tyrone appeared before a special sitting of Omagh Magistrates' Court yesterday charged with the murder of Attracta Harron, a retired librarian who has been missing since last December.
Mr Trevor William Hamilton, of Concess Road, Sion Mills, was charged with murdering the 65-year-old mother of five on December 11th, 2003, the day Ms Harron was last seen alive walking to her Strabane home after attending morning Mass in Lifford, Co Donegal.
The investigating officer, Det Insp John Gilmore, told the court Mr Hamilton made no reply when he was cautioned and charged on Saturday.
He said he believed he could connect the defendant to the charge and asked the magistrate for a remand to enable him to complete his inquiries.
Cross-examined by defence solicitor Mr Michael Fahy, Det Insp Gilmore confirmed that the defendant had undergone 25 taped police interviews during his three days in custody in Antrim police station and that throughout the interviews the defendant had denied any involvement in either the abduction or murder of Ms Harron.
Asked by Mr Fahy if the forensic evidence in the case was of a "preliminary nature", the detective said that he was of the view that there was "a very strong forensic case".
He added that forensic tests were ongoing and said he expected "further forensic evidence".
Det Insp Gilmore said that although Ms Harron's body had not yet been recovered, he was "quite satisfied a murder had occurred".
The magistrate remanded Mr Hamilton in custody to appear before Strabane Magistrates' Court on April 22nd.