An inquiry into the sectarian murder of Robert Hamill has concluded that police officers present near the scene did not collude with the attackers. The report, released Monday, identified multiple failures in the subsequent murder investigation, including an insufficient search of a key suspect's home.
Robert Hamill, 25, died in 1997 after being beaten by loyalists in Portadown, County Armagh. The inquiry itself concluded in 2009, with the report finalized in 2011. However, its findings could not be published until three prosecutions related to the case were resolved.