The Sunday World, 8 October 2006:
Exclusive Ludlow suspect in TV interview
BBC track down death puzzle man
Beeb show has new evidence on 1976 killing
By Richard Sullivan
Sam
Black-Carroll may hold the key to one of Ulster's most infamous unsolved
murders.
The man pictured here is caught up in a death puzzle concerning family man Seamus Ludlow as he walked to his Co. Louth home 30 years ago.
The BBC Spotlight team have tracked Black-Carroll to his home and confronted him with the allegation that he was Ludlow's killer.
The
murder of the 47-year-old in May 1976 has been reopened by Gardai after four
alleged suspects from north of the border were named in the Barron Report in the
Dail in March this year.
Spotlight's investigation tracks down Black-Carroll who is interviewed about his alleged role in the murder.
The programme hears from members of Seamus Ludlow's family who have been campaigning for a public inquiry.
Spotlight also talks to retired members of the Gardai who were involved in the original investigation about the findings of the Barron Report.
No one has ever been convicted of the murder.
It was widely believed that Mr Ludlow had been the mistaken victim of an IRA unit but new evidence suggested he was murdered by loyalists.
Spotted
It is now understood that he was abducted by loyalist paramilitaries who had been intent on murdering someone else. But when they were unable to carry out their mission they satisfied their bloodlust on the first person they could find.
On May 1 1976 Seamus Ludlow returned home from work at 1.15pm.
It was a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon. Seamus was employed by Danny Philips, a Ravensdale timber merchant.
Seamus cleaned himself up and headed for Dundalk at about 3pm which was his customary routine on a Saturday afternoon, where he would enjoy a few pints and play a few games of darts with friends, frequenting two or three pubs in the town.
It is believed he left the Lisdoo Arms Pub at about 11.30pm to hitch a lift home to his home at nearby Thistle Cross.
A number of people spotted him as he wandered his way home.
Sometime between 11.40pm and just after midnight a car with a group of men stopped and gave him a lift.
The journey to his home would have taken 10 minuutes - but he never returned.
The following morning his sister Nan Sharkey, with whom Seamus lived along with his mother, was getting her children ready to attend Mass when she noticed her brother hadn't made it home.
Two hours later the Gardai mounted a missing persons inquiry.
That afternoon two people out walking discovered the body of a man lying in a ditch a mile from the Ludlow home (main photo).
It was clear the victim had suffered a violent death. The body was riddled with gunshot and knife wounds.
Family members identified the body as that of Seamus Ludlow.
The murder investigation got into full swing with over 2,000 people questioned. 1,700 homes were visited and 1,000 cars stopped at vehicle checkpoints over the coming four weeks.
On Wednesday May 5
1976, Seamus Ludlow was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Ravensdale, Co. Louth. 
An
estimated 2,500 people attended the removal and burial.
Four weeks after the murder, abruptly and suddenly, the investigation came to a halt. No reason was ever given to the family by the Gardai or the Special Branch as to why this happened, in fact, relations between the family and the Gardai deteriorated.
Questioned
The inquest into the murder of Seamus Ludlow was held on Thursday 19th August 1976 in Dundalk. The Coroner that day was Dr Scully. No member of the family were ever told that the inquest was to be held.
The Coroner's Report showed that Seamus Ludlow was shot three times in the lung, liver and the fatal shot in the heart. He also had a bullet wound to his left hand where he had put up his hand to stop a bullet.
Seamus had been shot at point blank range and he was in a seated position when he was shot.
Four people from Northern Ireland were arrested and questioned about the murder but released without charge.
-
SPOTLIGHT is on BBC ONE Northern Ireland on Tuesday, October 10 at 10.35pm
I Top I
Visit The Irish News; The Argus
Copyright © 2006 the Ludlow family. All rights reserved.
Revised: October 09, 2006 .