The man who led an Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) gang of prisoners who shot dead Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright in the Maze Prison on December 27th 1997, has died.
Christopher "Crip" McWilliams, who fired the shots which killed Wright, died in Daisyhill Hospital in Newry this morning of cancer.
Billy Wright, also known as "King Rat", was killed as he sat inside a prison minibus on his way to the jail's visiting area on December 27th, 1997.
Three INLA inmates later offered to hand over two guns used in the attack to a priest. When the priest arrived they surrendered without a struggle.
McWilliams, John Kenneway and John Glennon were convicted of murdering Wright were jailed for life the following year for the murder. They were released two years later under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
At his trial, a detective inspector told the court that as he was about to charge McWilliams he said: "Billy Wright was executed for one reason and one reason only, and that was for directing and waging his campaign of terror against the nationalist people from his prison cell." He said the other two men made no comment when charged.
Wright's father has called for an independent inquiry into the killing of his son in the Maze and said that any internal inquiry would be a "whitewash". He said that he wanted to know how the INLA knew his son would be on his way to a visit which had been arranged only the night before.
John Kenneway, who returned to prison after his early release licence was revoked, was found hanged in his cell in Maghaberry Prison last year.
