Detectives call for information to help crack notorious murder case which saw Protestant minister beaten with nail-studded bats 25 years ago

The Presbyterian churchman had been beaten up in his home in the Mossley area of Newtownabbey, and died of his injuries on March 24, 1997.

The police have also indicated that, in the absence of any fresh evidence, it could be some time before they get around to actively considering the case.

The PSNI said the murder “currently sits within the caseload of Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB) for future review”.

But it added: “Regrettably, due to the LIB caseload, we are unable to give any undertaking as to when this review will commence.

“We understand the suffering his family continue to go through as they await this review and how difficult it must be for them.

“The case does remain open and any new information about the murder should be brought to the attention of police.”

The LIB had, as of last year, a caseload of about 1,100 cases involving fatalities, including 18 from 1997 alone.

A NIGHT-TIME GANG ATTACK AGAINST A LONE CLERIC:

Rev Templeton was attacked at his home at 9pm on February 7, according to the book ‘Lost Lives’.

It adds that he was hit with nail-studded clubs, fracturing his skull and breaking his legs.

The book describes him as “Northern Ireland’s longest-surviving kidney transplant patient, having had the transplant from his mother in 1976”.

Originally from Larne, he had attained a divinity degree from Princeton in the USA, and a masters’ degree in theology from Queen’s University Belfast.

He was unmarried and had ministered in Greyabbey until 1995.

At that time, news leaked out that customs staff at Aldergrove airport had found a gay pornographic video in his belongings as he was travelling back from Holland.

The publicity around the story led to him standing down from his ministry.

HET DOCUMENT SHEDS LIGHT ON SAVAGE BEATING:

A key document about the case from the Historical Enquiries Team (the forerunner to the LIB) has been uploaded to a website called www.queerarchive.net (registered to UUP man and gay capaigner Jeff Dudgeon).

It gives a fascinating insight into the crime – which was suspected to have been carried out by a notorious UVF thug, plus his subordinates.

Rev Templeton had described three of his attackers before his death.

As to whether these men were interviewed by police, the HET document says: “His description (they were masked) was thought insufficient to adduce evidentially – he apparently described builds, eyebrows and identified a voice.

“And of course David died shortly after he provided these leads.

“One person sought had gone missing and was never interviewed.”

As to whether charges were considered, the HET said: “No case papers were drawn up, as evidence sufficient to charge was not found.

“An evidentially weak fingerprint on an outer door was not followed up as the individual concerned went missing.”

The HET added that the notorious UVF gangster in question had not been considered a suspect by detectives in the original RUC investigation, although media reports linked him to the crime.

All in all, “19 calls provided suspects’ names anonymously”, the HET said.

But nobody has ever been held to account for the murder.

The HET document also states that four people were arrested on suspicion of passing on information about Rev Templeton to the UVF, but that “no evidence was found” to charge them.

‘Lost Lives’ says that up to 500 mourners attended Rev Templeton’s funeral at Gardenmore Presbyterian Church in Larne.

He is buried in the town cemetery.

He was aged 43.

For more from the News Letter, click here – Landmark libel win: Paper Trail case against News Letter collapses with plaintiffs paying towards costs

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