THE funeral will take place today of murdered loyalist Ian Ogle in east Belfast.
It comes as two men arrested in connection with the brutal killing were released on police bail pending further enquiries.
The men, aged 36 and 38, were held on Friday and released the following day.
A total of nine people have been arrested and questioned since the murder last Sunday but no-one has been charged.
The 45-year-old father-of-two was attacked at Cluan Place off the Albertbridge Road.
A detective said his skull was fractured and he was stabbed 11 times in the back in a frenzied attack carried out by at least five men.
Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy confirmed "one line of enquiry is that Ian was murdered by individuals who were members of east Belfast UVF".
The leadership of the east Belfast UVF told The Irish News last week that it would not be offering "protection" to those involved, adding that "whoever did it did not do it in the name of loyalism or the UVF".
Mr Ogle's mother Margaret Elliot said yesterday she felt he "had been preparing for the worst for a long time".
"I don't want just the five of them that killed him charged with murder, I want the higher ones - the men that gave the order - charged and brought before the courts," she told The Sunday World.
His daughter Toni also said she and her mother had attempted to intervene after threats were made against Mr Ogle.
"But nothing worked, we had church reps and everyone involved and it didn't make a difference."
The funeral is due to be held at 11am this morning at Covenant Love Church on the Albertbridge Road, followed by burial in Roselawn Cemetery.
