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Spanish police say John George murder investigation is complete

Kelly Bonner
BBC News NI
Family handout A man wearing a green t shirt and smiling at the camera. He has his hands up in a happy gesture Family handout
John George's body was found by Spanish police in Rojales

Police in Spain have said they have completed their investigation into the murder of Belfast man John George.

Mr George went missing in Spain in December 2024. His body was found by Spanish police on 7 January in a remote lemon grove, having been stabbed and shot in the chest and face.

A suspect in his murder, Jonny Smyth, 26, was extradited to Spain earlier this month after being arrested in Braga, Portugal, on 25 March.

He had been named in international arrest warrants circulated by Interpol following John George's disappearance.

Facebook Two men are smiling at the camera. On the left is John George he is wearing dark glasses and a dark hoodie. On the right is another man wearing glasses and a white hoody. He has his hands up, his hand has tattoos and he is wearing a large wristwatch. He also has a small tattoo above his right eye. Facebook
Jonny Smyth (right) is pictured with John George

Another man, a Czech national named locally as Michal Maly, is on bail but still being investigated as an alleged accomplice.

Civil Guard officers now say they have ruled out further arrests after revealing the evidence they have points to the two suspects being with the 37-year-old father-of-two around the last time he spoke with his father Billy George.

The statement from Spanish police also revealed that the main suspect in the murder case abandoned his two pet dogs and left Spain "in a hurry" after the Belfast man was reported missing.

Spanish police released new video of property searches they conducted as part of their investigation and footage from the spot in an orchard where the victim's body was found.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Alicante said it had "completed the investigation" into the disappearance of John George.

They said they found his body "in Rojales after an intensive search of the area where they suspected the crime may have occurred".

"Before this discovery, officers had already identified two suspects in the murder.

"One of them was arrested the same day the body was discovered."

They added that Mr George was "in the company of two people who became the main suspects" in his disappearance and that they then requested a European arrest warrant, which saw Mr Smyth being arrested in Portugal before being extradited.