Drugs and paramilitary involvement are definite lines of inquiry in Joe Reilly murder

Detectives from Serious Crime Branch investigating murder in Poleglass returned to the scene on the one-week anniversary of the shooting in the hope that more people in the community will come forward with information.

Officers wearing similar clothing to the two killers retraced their getaway route which the police were able to piece together from witness statements.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Montgomery, said: “We are following a number of definite lines of inquiry as part of this investigation. We believe the murder may be linked to illegal drugs and that it may have been carried out as some form of paramilitary-style shooting.

“It would be easy to adopt a judgmental position and decide not to get involved in helping police. But I would ask people to remember there is a handgun out there which may be used to inflict another death on someone else if it is not taken off the streets; there is also a family grieving for the loss of a son, a brother, a father, a grandfather and a partner. And there are killers at large who need to be made amenable for their actions through the courts.

“Police will play their part in working to deliver a robust and accountable criminal justice outcome to this cold-blooded crime. But we need the community and the ordinary decent people in the local Poleglass community to work with us, to provide us with information so that we can progress our investigation.”

Mr Reilly, 43, was shot twice in the chest in the living room of his home while two other people in the house were forced to lie on the kitchen floor.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, he died at the scene. His funeral took place yesterday.

DCI Montgomery said: “Some progress has been made but we need more assistance from the community.

“Information from the community has enabled us to identify the type of clothing the killers were wearing. Both were wearing half-zip hooded sports tops and skin-tight jogging bottoms. Both had their faces covered and at least one had a Celtic scarf up over his face and was wearing dark rimmed glasses.”