Pam Morrison, 78, has little hope of justice for the deaths of her three brothers, Ronnie, Cecil and Jimmy Graham, who were murdered one by one by the IRA in County Fermanagh during the Troubles. The last killing occurred on 1 February 1985, when Jimmy was shot 26 times as he parked his school bus. The killers celebrated with shouts of 'Yahoo'.
Ronnie Graham was killed in June 1981, Cecil in November 1981, and Jimmy just over three years later. Morrison described the ongoing torment: 'The torture never ended. First Ronnie, then Cecil, then Jimmy. You never really got a chance to get yourself sorted out.' She will mark the 41st anniversary of Jimmy's murder on Sunday with memories and prayers.
For decades, Morrison did not speak publicly about the murders due to fear of further IRA attacks. Her brothers served part-time in the Ulster Defence Regiment, a local British army wing that attracted mainly Protestants. Now, as the last surviving Graham sibling, she feels a responsibility to keep their memories alive. 'It takes an awful lot out of me to try to talk, but I want to try,' she said.
No one was convicted for the murders, and Morrison has little hope for justice under planned changes to legacy legislation. She recalled seeing a suspected killer in town: 'He’d just stare at me. He knew who I was.' Kenny Donaldson of SEFF, a victims' group, said the targeting of the Grahams was a warning to others not to join the security forces or marry across the religious divide.
Jimmy's murder was particularly devastating. 'He was that badly damaged none of us ever got to see him,' Morrison said. She has never sought revenge, only justice, and has Catholic friends. She contributed to a memorial tapestry recalling victims from all sides. 'Time never helps,' she said. 'The pain is still there, something you just have to carry.'
