On January 7, it was confirmed that a body has been found by Spanish authorities which is believed to be that of missing John Hardy. His father has been informed although a formal identification needs to take place.
Speaking via their solicitors in Belfast, the family expressed their gratitude to all those who have supported them in recent days.
“They now respectfully ask for some privacy to allow them both time and space to engage on the next harrowing stages in what is now a formalised murder investigation.”
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Sadly, the K9 Search and Rescue Northern Ireland who flew out on January 1 to assist in the search has returned home having found nothing connected to missing man John Hardy.
Father of two, John was declared missing after he failed to board a plane back to Belfast on December 18. Since then, his family have declared that they believe him to be dead and are now sadly looking for his body. As his dad said in a heartfelt plea on New Year’s Day, “Please just give me my son. That’s all I want, just my son.”
Spanish police have advised that they believe Hardy was killed shortly after his last contact, and the family have also confirmed that they received information from an associate of John’s that he had been shot dead. They have even been given information from a relative of the man that they strongly suspect was involved in John’s murder as to where they might find him.
Family desperate for information on John Hardy’s whereabouts
Sadly, their efforts to scour the places given have been futile, even with a team of fifty volunteers and the K9 Search and Rescue NI assisting them. This has included the beach in Cabo Roig, and lemon fields in the huge area from Benidorm to Torrevieja in the Costa Blanca region.
Understandably, the family are becoming more desperate with each day that passes as they want to bring John home to Belfast and provide him with a final resting place. His brother Darren, who is still in Spain, along with his parents and sisters, has also made a plea for any information on his whereabouts.
“Someone knows where John is. They need to give it up, and they need to give the location whether it’s done anonymously,” he said.