HET urged to re-visit brutal 1981 murder

THE husband of murdered census collector Joanne Mathers has called on the PSNI’S Historical Enquiries Team to revisit the investigation into the death of his wife on the streets of the Waterside almost exactly 30 years ago.

29-year-old Joanne was gunned down at Anderson Crescent on April 7, 1981 as she collected census forms, leaving behind a devastated husband and infant son.

Three decades after her death no-one has been brought to justice over the callous murder.

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Lowry Mathers has shunned media attention in all the years after the murder of his wife, but has now broken his silence and told the Londonderry Sentinel: “ I would now encourage the Historical Enquiries Team to revisit the murder.

“Forensics are amazing now compared to 30 years ago. It would be great if they could get somebody for it.”

In mild terms, 1981 was an extremely fraught year in Northern Ireland. From January 1 to December 13 of that year, 112 people lost their lives in Troubles related violence. The year was a period of political crisis, largely dominated by the deaths of ten republican hunger strikers.

The modest and emotional figure of dairy farmer Lowry Mathers spoke to the Sentinel at his home at Donagheady.

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Recalling his late wife, he says his grief still extends to the loss felt by his son Shane who was just a year and ten months old when his mother was murdered.

“I don’t care about myself, it’s a shame that he (Shane) had to grow up without his mother. It was a terrible loss for him. She wasn’t there to see him achieve many things-to see him come top of the class at Foyle College or at Queen’s University to see him claim his first class honours,” he said.

Joanne Mathers’ son followed in his mother’s footsteps and went into planning - taking his qualifications from the same university and with exactly the same grade as her.

His father Lowry continued: “Everytime I look at him, I see his mother. As far as I am concerned there was no justice for Shane- no one was ever convicted. The only thing they told me was that the gun used had been used in two punishment attacks.”

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The pain felt by Lowry Mathers is still evident in his face. The Sentinel asked him what his thoughts are on those who killed his wife and he said: “There are boys in Derry or Londonderry, whatever you want to call it who know who did this. Somebody ordered it to be done and the person who carried it out knows exactly what he did. The person who ordered this is every bit as guilty as the person who carried it out.”

“I wouldn’t want to have their conscience. But, there will come a day when they will meet their maker and they will have to answer for it then.

Joanne and Lowry had met and gone out together since they were just teenagers. Lowry fondly recalled: “I met her at a rugby hop at the Britannia Hall. She was 15.

“There is an emptiness there in my heart. For a long time when I went into town I looked at men passing me by and wondered if I was looking at Joanne’s killers. I said to myself ‘ is it him, is it him, or is it him?’

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“I also wonder if the killer ever stops and thinks about what he did?”

Mr Mathers also told the Sentinel that Joanne had been working in the planning office and gave up her work because she felt their son had reached the age where he needed full-time care from her.

It was for this reason that she had taken a part-time census collector in early 1981.

Lowry said: “She only had him two-and-a-half months (watching him full time) before she was killed.

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“Thirty times this anniversary has come around. I only feel able to speak about it now I suppose because 30 years have passed. I knew nothing about it until my father came in around 6.30pm that night and told me.

“My father then went and identified Joanne. Imagine shooting a 29-year-old girl. Sure, you wouldn’t do it to a wee dog.”