What happened to Johnny Connelly?
It's been five years since Johnny was found in water at Speirs Wharf, Glasgow but the family still have no answers.
Johnny had made his way into the city centre of Glasgow to check with his employer about unpaid wages on the 15th of July 2019. He was last seen in the city centre around 10pm that evening but failed to return home. A week later, Johnny’s body would be found in Spiers Wharf, a body of water along a canal on Johnny’s route home. Concern of foul play was raised when a post mortem found injuries to his head and body yet Johnny’s family are no further forward in finding out what happened to their much loved son and brother.
“He was just the biggest, most gentle guy, you would always feel safe around him”
It is believed that 3 men may hold the answer to what happened to Johnny as he made his way home from the city centre. In 2020, after taking 50 statements from the public as part of their investigation, Police Scotland announced that 3 men aged between 30 -45 with Scottish accents were seen in the nearby vicinity of an underpass on Garscube Road around the time Johnny would be passing the area. At the time Police Scotland said:
“I am appealing to these three men to contact us, they may think they don’t know anything but I am asking them to let us be the judge of that.
“A small piece of information, which may seem insignificant, could be vital to us as we build up a picture of what has happened. I am also re-appealing to the public to consider whether they too have information which could be relevant.
“Anyone losing a loved one is entitled to know what happened to them. Please contact us and pass your information on.”
A cash reward of £1000 was also offered by Johnny’s family to anyone with information that might lead to a conviction for the involvement in the death of Johnny. A family friend donated the cash in the hope this may encourage someone to come forward.
Sadly to date there has been very little developments and there appears to be no new information on the case. Nearing the five year anniversary of Johnny’s death, his heartbroken family have spoken out again. Speaking to STV News, Johnny’s twin sister said:
“I know that my brother was attacked that night. It just makes things worse and it’s confusing because how anybody could hurt him is beyond me. There is no badness in my brother, he met evil that night, that must have been what got my brother.”
Police Scotland confirmed the investigation into what happened to Johnny is still open and that they will investigate any new evidence brought to them. If you have any information about what happened to Johnny please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or contact Maryhill police station in Glasgow directly on 01786 289070.
