Omagh teenager Gerard Slattery remains returned home
The remains of an Omagh teenager who disappeared nearly 40 years ago will be returned to his family on Tuesday.
Gerard Slattery, 16, went missing in November 1973 when he was on his way home from Mass.
DNA tests carried out on remains exhumed from a workhouse grave in Strabane were confirmed as those of the teenager.
Gerard Slattery's brother, Paul, said:"I was never going to give up. I would never give up.
"There is a sense of sadness and joy too at the same time. It's hard to explain, but I'm just very happy he's coming home."
Monsignor Joseph Donnelly from The Sacred Heart church in Omagh said it had brought a great sense of relief to Gerard Slattery's family.
"You have to admire the persistence of the family.
"Their patience has been rewarded. It will mean a lot to not only the family but also the community.
"It was one of those mysteries that was unsolved," he said.
Gerard will be buried alongside his parents at Greenhill cemetery on 14 June.