On this day (Tuesday), one year ago, the life of 19-year-old Gerard Lawlor was taken in the most arbitrary and brutal manner.
As he spent his last evening socialising with friends, he had no way of knowing that the most cynical and evil individuals in our society were setting out to kill a Catholic.
In fact, it is only by good fortune that the wave of gun attacks unleashed by these hate-filled people on that night did not result in more deaths.
But there was no good fortune for Gerard Lawlor. His short life was ended by people who knew nothing about him except that he was very likely to be a defenceless Catholic, walking home alone in the darkness.
In the anger and outrage which followed this murder, there were high hopes that those responsible would be brought to court.
One year on and the police have been forced to admit that, while they know who killed the teenager, they do not have the evidence to charge them.
This is a worrying and unacceptable situation. The Lawlor family and the wider community is entitled to feel extremely perturbed that such vicious murderers are free to walk the streets, sleep in their own beds and plot further deaths.
Of course, there are those who have information which could lead to these killers being jailed. But for a number of reasons they have not come forward.
According to Detective Superintendent Roy Suitters, the officer leading the investigation, the loyalist community is less likely to help the police solve a Catholic's murder than a loyalist's murder.
This is the depressing reality, but that should not stop every effort being made to persuade people to do the right thing.
The continuing ability of paramilitaries to evade the law is a matter which should be of the utmost concern to every decent person in this society.
New figures on the number of people charged over Troubles-related murders will add to the frustration many people feel about this issue.
In a written reply to Labour MP Kevin McNamara, NIO minister Jane Kennedy has revealed that last year 12 murders were committed but just one person charged.
This is the lowest prosecution rate since 1973, which is alarming.
The fact is that paramilitary killers have proved adept at covering their tracks forensically, are unlikely to provide verbal admissions during questioning and can rely on the threat of violent retribution to ensure that witnesses stay silent.
They are committing murder with impunity, which is simply intolerable.
Breaking through the wall of silence is the challenge facing the police and the wider community.
Those who killed Gerard Lawlor and so many others are not entitled to remain free and unpunished.
