UPDATED: Man killed in bar shooting incident

Butterfly Bar has always been called that way, at least for the past 50 years. Yes, the Pitkali was situated at Qormi Road, the road on the right hand side of the bar. I still remember the previous owner of the bar too, today deceased and on the first floor there was an office which was used as a sort of a petshop. At Qormi Road there are still the original market warehouses, and one can still buy vegetables and fruits from them.The mentioned murder took place during Carnival at another bar across the road. Long ago the karozzini and carts used to be decorated for Carnival at this place.

I believe that when I was growing up in the fifties this place was a Pitkali , ( Produce Market ) before they all moved to Hal Far...... Maybe after that it became a bar......

It is true that another murder took place in the vicinity in May 1963 but not in the same bar. It happened just across the road in a bar known as Taz- Zundajru. Today the shop is a household gift shop with yellow signage.

You are right Mr. Ellul, the murder you mentioned happened in February 1963 and the victim was 40 year old Francis Laus. At the time the place was called St. Paul's Restaurant. The murder weapon was a drinking glass and the murderer, 23 year old Alfred Xuereb, was later sentenced to 18 years in prison.

In reply to Mr Godfrey Ellul's comments, a murder occured in B'kara in February 1963 in front of a place called Paul's Restaurant which happened to be located near the bus terminus (if I'm not mistaken from the photo this Butterfly Bar is situated also near the terminus). Can it be that afterwards this restaurant changed its name to Butterfly Bar? Any one more informed?

If I'm not mistaken, years ago another murder took place in the same bar. I think it was in the late fifties or early sixties. .not sure

From what I read, this murder resembles very much those classic Mafia style murders of the early 80's in Sicilly. Let's hope it's not the case.

If the men were hooded, cameras will be of little help. Its clear that this was a cold blooded murder and not a failed robbery attempt as they might want police to believe, a murder studied out very well by using a motorcycle knowing that the area has jammed traffic on a regularly.

Police should investigate well the past of the victim to link any suspects. They should also study the CCTV of the area in the past weeks, days and hours as usually killers like these tend to visit the site on the same hour they plan to murder plus they surely were in the area minutes prior to the murder as they wanted to be sure that the victim was inside the bar always excluding the fact that somebody informed them, in this case checking mobile calls made by frequenters of this snack bar can be of some help.

Very difficult case to solve indeed, if solved one will also hope that our Courts will not hand out the now infamous suspended sentences, as they are doing lately as if they were pastizzi. Good luck to our police.

If I recall correctly there are cameras there. should be some help to the investigation.