While the number of people killed by the IRA double agent known as Stakeknife could be as high as 40, only a small number of their families have felt brave enough to speak out.
The relatives who have come forward have revealed gruesome details that show chilling links between the killings covering a period of many years.
The murder of Paddy Trainor in 1981 took place after he was lured to a house and abducted.
The 28-year-old was then tortured, his body covered in burn marks, and forced to confess to what amounted to very low level informing on the false promise that he would be released.
Instead he was blindfolded and allowed to stumble around in the dark, trying to find safety, before being shot in the back of the head.
The taped confession was played to his family after his murder and details of the callous nature of his death told to a brother.
His fate was similar to that of Kevin Coyle (24), who was abducted from his home in Derry in February 1985 and his body found dumped in the Bogside area two days later.
He had also been tortured and forced to confess and the tape handed over to his family.
Both murders also bear similarities to that of Caroline Moreland.
The mother of three was abducted in July 1994 and forced to make a taped confession to be played to her family.
She was shot in the head and her body dumped at the border in Fermanagh.
The same pattern can be traced at least a dozen more murders of people alleged to be informers in circumstances now to be subject to a fresh police investigation.
