EXCLUSIVE | 

Former suspect in Chloe Mitchell murder case forced to flee home over safety fears

Ryan Johnston Gordon is in hiding after he was forced to leave his Ballymena home despite the fact that he is no longer charged

Yesterday at 15:40

This is the boarded-up home of a man previously charged in connection with the savage murder of Chloe Mitchell who has been forced to flee due to fears for his safety.

Ryan Johnston Gordon is in hiding after he was forced to leave his Ballymena home despite the fact that he is no longer charged with assisting the alleged killer of 21-year-old Chloe.

Chloe’s remains were found in Ballymena in June.

Gordon (34) fled his Nursery Close home in the town after local residents raised a petition demanding that he leave immediately.

When the Sunday World visited his neat and tidy ground-floor flat, the windows had been boarded up by the Housing Executive – to the relief of residents.

“He was not welcome here,” one told us.

“I’m very relieved his house was boarded up because people were terrified that their homes would be attacked by mistake,” the resident added.

The resident told us hundreds of people had signed a petition demanding he leave the area, and she told us how householders had to feed a number of dogs left in the house after he was arrested.

“The stench was unbelievable, we had to feed the dogs,” the woman added.

Gordon left his home after charges of assisting Chloe’s alleged killer were withdrawn. The case against him was due to be mentioned on August 3 but it was brought forward to July 18 when a prosecuting lawyer confirmed to Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, that the Public Prosecution Service is “withdrawing the charge without prejudice, to proceed by way of report”.

Gordon had been charged with assisting an offender in that “knowing or believing” Chloe Mitchell had been murdered by Brandon Rainey, he assisted an offender by concealing evidence “intending to impede the apprehension or prosecution” of Rainey.

Rainey (26), from James Street in Ballymena, is in custody accused of the murder of Chloe on a date unknown between June 2-5.

The Sunday World understands the UDA in Harryville, close to Gordon’s home, were also said by some locals to be on the hunt for the man.

It is not clear where Gordon is now but it seems he has little chance of resuming his life in quiet Nursery Close.

“The message was loud and clear, ‘you are not welcome here’,” a neighbour told us.

“We cannot allow him to return for fear of attack which could put residents at risk.

“The community was horrified, thank God that place was boarded up, the charges may have been dropped but the stench is still here.”

Chloe’s disappearance sparked a huge community response in Ballymena with dozens of people coming out to help find her.

A search operation was launched, with Community Rescue Service volunteers scouring steep banks around the River Braid.

Chloe was last seen on CCTV in Ballymena town centre in the early hours of Saturday, June 3.

However, it wasn’t until over a week later, on June 11, that human remains were discovered and, after a painstaking wait for the family, confirmed to be those of the missing 21-year old.

Meanwhile, vigils to remember Chloe were held in her home town of Ballymena and in Belfast. Rainey remains on remand in Maghaberry Prison despite attempts to have him placed elsewhere citing mental health issues.