McIntyre JohnJr

American FBI informant, slain by mob members involved in gunrunning for the Irish Republican Army. His family last saw McIntyre, a disabled veteran, idealist and Irish Republican Army (IRA) sympathizer, on 11/30/1984. He disappeared just six weeks after telling law enforcement officials about the notorious Winter Hill Gang’s involvement with the Valhalla, a fishing boat that carried guns and ammunition in an ill-fated attempt to supply the IRA. McIntyre was a crewmember on the Valhalla. Initially, McIntyre’s father said he believed his son was killed by British intelligence agents opposed to the IRA. On 1/17/2000, Christopher McIntyre, John’s brother, stated that their father, who died in 1985, made that claim because of threats of harm against Christopher. John McIntyre’s body was found in early January 2000 in a makeshift grave with two other victims when a mob informant led investigators to the site and described the murders. Christopher McIntyre came forward with charges that the FBI leaked word that his brother was an informant to the mob, thus contributing to his death. The FBI is investigating the allegations. The family is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government. Read less