Family of murdered teenager Megan McAlorum fear killer plans to flee to US

He walked free from prison on Monday, having served just under 17-years of a life sentence for a killing that shocked the people of Northern Ireland due to the savage nature of the attack.

Purcell, a member of the Traveller community was only 16 at the time but had already a lengthy criminal record and a history of violence.

Earlier this month Megan's family were contacted by a 'whistleblower' from the Traveller community who had information that Purcell was planning on skipping parole and flying to America on a false passport.

The insider told Megan's grieving family that associates of the killer were already arranging a new identity and safe passage to America where Purcell could live free from his strict parole conditions.

Purcell had transferred from Hydebank Wood young offenders centre to a prison in England shortly before his 21st birthday, when he was due to be moved to high security Maghaberry jail.

Claiming his life would be under threat in the adult prison he was moved to a detention centre in Oxford to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Megan's heartbroken mother Margaret, who died in 2017, set about campaigning for a change in the law after discovering her daughter's killer has been transferred out of Northern Ireland through the media.

The prison service later issued an apology for the hurt caused and her successful campaign resulted in changes to the victim information scheme so no other family had to through the same ordeal.

Fearing Purcell plans flee to the US with a new identity, where women would be unaware of his violent past, Megan's family contacted Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray, who had been the original investigator in the murder case.

The veteran detective has assured the family that relevant authorities on both sides of the Atlantic would be on high alert for the killer who is now aged 33.

On the Easter Sunday in 2004 when Megan was murdered, she had met up with friends at the Hunting Lodge Bar in west Belfast, after finishing a shift at the Glenowen Inn, where she worked.

On the way home she decided to visit a friend at a local fast food outlet. It is believed as she was walking home from the take away Purcell offered her a lift.

Twelve hours later Megan's badly beaten and partially clothed body was discovered in a forest half a mile from the Glenside Road in Dunmurry.

She had suffered 54 fractures to her skull.

After murdering Megan, Purcell made his way to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast where he feigned chest pains in an attempt to give himself an alibi.

During a sentencing hearing the court was told he returned to where he left Megan's badly beaten body to drag it into a nearby ditch.

He returned later with two young relatives, aged 12 and 14, to pretend to police that they had stumbled across the body.

Throughout the legal process Purcell showed no remorse and continually denied murdering the popular teenager, pleading guilty at the final hour just as his trial was due to begin.

While Purcell denied raping Megan, her postmortem showed physical evidence of a sexual assault that one expert believed may have occurred after her violent death.

He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 15-years in 2006 at Belfast Crown Court. While eligible for parole in May 2019 he was deemed unsafe to be released into the community and his application was refused.

Earlier this year the parole board reconsidered that decision and Purcell was released on Monday to an approved address with a 90-day curfew in place, he is banned from west Belfast and from going near Megan's grave.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Megan's older sister Lynn Sutcu said the family are "horrified" at the thought of their sister's killer fleeing the country.

"He is a danger to women everywhere, he murdered my sister in the most savage way imaginable, he showed her no mercy and he has never shown any remorse for his actions.

"That he could be helped start again, somewhere else, in a country where women would be totally unaware of his past and what he's capable of makes my blood run cold.

"We have always believed he will kill again, I can't imagine prison has changed him much, I don't think people like him can be rehabilitated.

"We live in fear that he will do this to another family and they will have to endure the pain we have been in since we lost our Megan".