Man to appear in court after body of woman dead since 2015 found

Body of Marie Conlon (68) found at her flat after concerns raised about her whereabouts

A man is due to appear at a Belfast court next month after being charged in connection with the discovery of a woman's body in an apartment in Belfast.

It is believed the woman may have died more than two years ago, around January 2015.

On Friday the PSNI said officers investigating the death of 68-year-old Marie Conlon had charged a 23-year-old man with offences related to theft, fraud, burglary and preventing the lawful burial of a body.

He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on November 5th, police said.

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He has been released unconditionally in relation to the suspicion of murder.

Forensic examinations to establish the cause of Ms Conlon’s death are ongoing.

Ms Conlon’s body was found by PSNI officers after concerns were raised about her whereabouts. Officers forced entry and found her lying in a bed in her flat.

A family statement on Thursday said Ms Conlon, who lived in the Larkspur Rise area of west Belfast, has been an “independent” woman and that she will be “mourned greatly”.

“We are shocked and heartbroken to learn about the loss of our beloved sister, Marie Conlon. The tragic circumstances of her death make it all the more difficult to comprehend and accept.

“Marie was very much loved by her family and will be mourned greatly. She was a very independent person.

“Numerous attempts had been made to contact her in person, and by other means, over the course of the past two years but at no point were suspicions raised that she had been deceased.

“It is only with hindsight that the unimaginable now seems possible.

“We have been working closely with the PSNI to bring this devastating situation to an end.

“We hope and pray that justice will be done and ask for privacy as we grieve the loss of our sister.”