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	Plea for New Probe into Bernadette's Murder Amid Claims of Cover-up The Herald December 3, 2009 http://www.herald.ie/national-news/plea-for-new-probe-into-bernadettes-murder-amid-claims-of-coverup-1962835.html GRIEF: Kerrie's fight for justice over killing of the 10-year-old sister she never had a chance to know Retired officers also described how the investigation file ended up in the hands of clerics - and detectives were outcast by the Church because they had the audacity to name a priest as a suspect. The Herald has learned that detectives investigating the murder of Bernadette Connolly in Sligo were ordered not to detain a Passionist priest for questioning over the killing -- just hours before they were to move on him. Case detectives believe a Sligo-based priest, Fr Columba had information about the murder and intended to arrest him. But they received a direct order not to do so, from unnamed senior figures in the force. According to sources, the arrest was arranged to take place at the Passionist monastery in Mount Argus, Dublin, after Fr Columba was moved there from Sligo. A former detective told the Herald: "I got this instruction to reopen the file, to bring Father Columba in. But the night before it came from very senior figures that I was to forget about it. I had been told that Fr Columba was in Mount Argus and was told to prepare my interview. A superior officer came to me and said to call it off. I was told this was coming right from senior gardai." Gardai had two suspects in the case, Fr Columba and a second person, another monk. An eyewitness put the monk in a green van close to the scene of Bernadette's disappearance on the day she went missing. Fr Columba died in 2001. Bernadette went missing in April 1970 at Coolooney, Sligo, while cycling to collect groceries. Her decomposed body was found three months later, in a boghole 15 miles away. The case is back in the spotlight today after Bernadette's sister gave an emotional interview on the Gerry Ryan Radio Show. Speaking to the Herald, Kerrie Aldridge said she remained angry that the garda file on the murder was reportedly shown to a senior member of the clergy at the headquarters of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. Ms Aldridge (38) said it still rankled with her family that a senior member of the clergy was shown the file when no one in the victim's family was ever allowed to see it. The abduction and killing of the 10-year-old schoolgirl has remained an unsolved case for almost 40 years. KILLER The family were aware for many years that senior gardai suspected the killer may have been a member of the Cloonmahon Monastery, located in the district where the young victim lived in County Sligo. "When the Murphy Report came out I felt so annoyed once more on hearing about interference by the clergy in garda investigation and garda collusion with clergy," said Kerrie, who lives with her husband Darren and their three young children in the original family home in Collooney. She has now called upon gardai to use modern DNA techniques to re-start the investigation into her killing. "Our sister's death is still fresh for our family. It is a constant sore, an open wound for all of us," she said. Kerrie, the youngest of the Connolly family, was born three years after the murder. She said that her parents never recovered from the shock and sadness of Bernadette's death. Her mother Maureen died 12 years later, aged just 48. Her father Gerry died in 1999 and was "99pc convinced" his daughter's killer was based in the monastery, she said. She said her father told her that a member of the monastery had come to their family home and told him a bizarre story that he saw a car acting suspiciously outside their home two weeks after her disappearance. He told her father he followed the car for miles before losing the car only about 50 yards from where the body was eventually found months later, she claimed. The murder squad detectives conducted an extensive investigation and a large number of people were investigated as possible suspects. Their suspicions kept returning to the use of a green van belonging to the monastery which was reported to have been seen on local roads at the time of the disappearance but no member of the monastery could account for the use of the van during the crucial period of her abduction. TRUTH Kerrie said she and her sisters Ann and Patricia and brother Tommy have a deep desire that the truth about what happened should be uncovered. "The family had a meeting in a room with seven gardai. They told us the case was still open. But when we were told we could not see the file on her case, the gardai were then reminded by us that the hierarchy had seen it," she said. It was reported that a garda officer from garda headquarters had shown at least part of the murder file to a senior member of the clergy at Archbishop's House in Dublin. Kerrie said that gardai had undertaken to show the family a copy of the autopsy report but the family still have not seen it. "We would like the gardai to use DNA methods to examine the clothes she was wearing. Her underpants and tights were never found but what about her vest and pinafore and jacket," she said. Kerrie said she was given to understand that Bernadette's clothing and the holy medals she was wearing that had been found at the scene could not be located. She said every effort should be made to find all items of evidence so that gardai could re-examine them. And she remains deeply protective about the safety of her own little boy and two little girls. She said: "I'm afraid to let my children out of my sight. I hope I'll get less uptight about their safety as the years go by." Contact: aokeeffe@herald.ie
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