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January 30th, 1972 stands as among the deadliest – and consequential – dates in thirty years of unrest in the region.

In the streets where events unfolded – the images of Bloody Sunday are painted on the buildings and embedded in public consciousness.

A civil rights march was conducted on a chilly yet clear day in Derry.

The march was challenging the practice of imprisonment without charges – imprisoning people without legal proceedings – which had been implemented following an extended period of unrest.

Troops from the specialized division shot dead multiple civilians in the neighborhood – which was, and continues to be, a overwhelmingly republican population.

A specific visual became particularly memorable.

Pictures showed a Catholic priest, the priest, displaying a bloodied white handkerchief while attempting to defend a group transporting a young man, the injured teenager, who had been killed.

Media personnel captured extensive video on the day.

Historical records features Father Daly explaining to a reporter that soldiers "appeared to fire in all directions" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no justification for the shooting.

That version of events was rejected by the initial investigation.

The first investigation found the Army had been attacked first.

In the peace process, the administration commissioned a new investigation, following pressure by surviving kin, who said the first investigation had been a inadequate investigation.

During 2010, the report by the investigation said that generally, the paratroopers had fired first and that zero among the individuals had posed any threat.

The then government leader, the Prime Minister, apologised in the Parliament – declaring killings were "unjustified and unjustifiable."

The police started to examine the events.

An ex-soldier, known as Soldier F, was charged for murder.

Accusations were made concerning the killings of James Wray, twenty-two, and twenty-six-year-old William McKinney.

The accused was further implicated of seeking to harm multiple individuals, other civilians, Joe Mahon, an additional individual, and an unnamed civilian.

Exists a legal order preserving the soldier's anonymity, which his attorneys have argued is essential because he is at threat.

He stated to the investigation that he had solely shot at individuals who were armed.

That claim was disputed in the concluding document.

Material from the inquiry would not be used immediately as testimony in the legal proceedings.

In the dock, the defendant was screened from view behind a blue curtain.

He spoke for the opening instance in the hearing at a session in December 2024, to answer "not guilty" when the charges were presented.

Kin of the deceased on that day journeyed from the city to Belfast Crown Court each day of the case.

John Kelly, whose sibling was killed, said they understood that attending the proceedings would be emotional.

"I visualize the events in my memory," he said, as we examined the primary sites discussed in the proceedings – from the street, where the victim was fatally wounded, to the adjacent Glenfada Park, where James Wray and the second person were killed.

"It returns me to where I was that day.

"I helped to carry the victim and lay him in the ambulance.

"I went through each detail during the evidence.

"But even with experiencing the process – it's still worthwhile for me."