Police reopen Belfast missing-children case for 1969 pair after six decades

Police in Northern Ireland issued a fresh appeal for information Thursday on the 1969 disappearances of two Belfast boys, David Leckey and Jonathan Aven, hoping new details may finally shed light on what happened after they left for school and never returned.

David Leckey, then 11, and Jonathan Aven, then 14, vanished in September 1969 amid a period when several children disappeared from the streets of Belfast. Detectives said they believe the pair may have boarded a train to Bangor, in County Down, but emphasized there was no indication at the time that either boy intended to run away from home.

David Leckey’s family said there was “no indication that he was unhappy or in trouble of any kind and didn't think he would ever have left home” when he went missing, while Jonathan Aven’s father described his son as a “happy little boy” who attended Ashfield Boys’ School and seemed to be thriving.

The case of the two boys was later featured in Lost Boys: Belfast's Missing Children, a documentary that revisited disappearances from the 1960s and 1970s and raised questions about potential connections, including the suggestion of a paedophile network. By 1974, as the Troubles intensified, five boys had vanished within about five miles of central Belfast. In addition to Leckey and Aven, Thomas Spence, 11, and John Rodgers, 13, were last seen at a Falls Road bus stop in November 1974, and 10-year-old Brian McDermott was found murdered in 1973 after disappearing from Ormeau Park.

Experts cited in the documentary considered whether the cases could be linked, while noting the broader context of institutional abuse investigations in Northern Ireland. The program pointed to Kincora Boys’ Home in East Belfast, where abuse of boys later came to light in 1980, and alleged that a network of adults—some connected to the security apparatus—might have protected offenders. Analysts described a climate in which resources were stretched during the Troubles, potentially delaying or impairing investigations.

Des Henderson, the documentary’s director, said the disappearances from the east of the city during 1969–74 bore eerie similarities and that there could be more to uncover about who may have harmed the boys. He and others suggested that intelligence or security contacts could have complicated investigations. The film also referenced British Army intelligence whistleblowers who claimed they knew about abuse at Kincora and attempted to raise alarms.

Thomas Spence and John Rodgers were officially declared murder victims in 2001, nearly 30 years after they disappeared, while the case of Brian McDermott remained a focus of inquiry for years. In the days surrounding McDermott’s murder, investigators expanded their search, and a later investigation into multiple missing youths was opened. In this broader context, police and independent researchers have continued to pursue possible links among these cases.

In recent remarks, Det Insp Armstrong of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s legacy investigation branch described the ongoing case as open and unresolved. He stressed that detectives would review all investigative opportunities and follow all lines of enquiry, including any potential criminal offences tied to the disappearances. Investigators are particularly interested in any sightings or encounters involving the boys along routes toward Bangor in the years since 1969, and they urged anyone who may have encountered the pair to come forward.

The renewed appeal has been welcomed by the families’ solicitor, Owen Winters of KRW Law, which represents both the Leckey and Aven families. Winters said it is never too late for justice and urged investigators to pursue a coordinated, cross-case approach that would link the 1969 disappearances with other similar cases. He noted that evidence connecting a series of disappearances and killings had not previously been joined under a single umbrella, a move he described as potentially yielding “mutual dividend” for families seeking answers.

Police urged anyone who can help to contact the 101 line or to email LIBEnquiries@psni.pnn.police.uk, quoting reference RM14009442. The force emphasized that the review remains focused on gathering new information, re-examining old leads, and evaluating whether any criminal offences may be involved, with a particular emphasis on any unreported travel by the boys around the time of their disappearances.