Mr Small was found dead outside his home in the Slievenabrock Avenue area of Newcastle, Co Down, on Sunday night.<\/p>\n
A \u00a320,000 (\u20ac23,000) reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder, a senior officer with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
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Police are continuing to appeal for information about his death. <\/p>\n
Detective Chief Inspector Kerrie Foreman said Small had not been seen alive since August 19th, five days before his death.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a press conference in Newcastle, she said her team was working \u201cat pace\u201d to \u201cestablish what happened in the intervening days\u201d before his body was found.<\/p>\n
Small had recently been released from prison after pleading guilty to sexual offences against a teenage girl and a vulnerable woman.<\/p>\n
In 2022, he was sentenced to three years in prison and three years under supervision in the community.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, a police cordon remained around his house and at a neighbouring house where forensic officers conducted examinations. There is no suggestion that anyone in the neighbouring house is linked to the PSNI investigation.<\/p>\n
A postmortem examination was continuing and police were unable to provide details on the cause of death or if more than one person was involved in the murder.<\/p>\n Asked if Small\u2019s conviction for sex offences was being investigated a possible motive, Det Chief Insp Foreman told reporters that detectives were keeping an \u201copen mind\u201d and \u201cpursuing all possible lines of inquiry at this time\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would ask the public not to speculate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The officer also appealed for the public\u2019s help.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a brutal and sustained attack and while our investigation is at a very early stage, detectives are working at pace to determine the circumstances around this murder,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to speak to anyone who was in the Slievenabrock Avenue area of Newcastle on August 19th or following days or who may have witnessed anyone or anything they thought was suspicious or out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n \u201cHas anyone you are close to acted strangely over the last few days or broken from their usual routine?\u201d<\/p>\n Police also confirmed there was criminal damage to Small\u2019s home several weeks ago, but were unable to provide further details.<\/p>\n \u201cI know that the local community will be in shock following the news of this terrible crime. However, I want to provide reassurance that detectives are working as quickly as possible to understand how and why this murder has taken place,\u201d Det Chief Insp Foreman.<\/p>\n \u201cYour information could be crucial in helping officers understand exactly what has happened, and to ensure we can secure justice for the victim\u2019s family.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/resizer\/v2\/UOJ2AJP4KTPFWXRWQBB3FNQ77I.jpg?auth=1bb4a59c56fdf15166e5686139ab3bbcbd541248bb10bb8f76785ce7a6e08182&width=800&height=600\")
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