Police investigating the murder of Glenn Quinn in Carrickfergus have said they are working to establish if his death was linked to a previous assault.
Mr Quinn is believed to have been attacked by a masked gang in his Ashleigh Park home in Carrickfergus some time on Friday.
The 47-year-old, who had no paramilitary connections, had been involved in a number of public altercations with a well known UDA leader, the most recent on Friday afternoon.
Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said: "We know that Glenn was assaulted on 29th December and while he wasn't badly injured, he was left frightened by the incident and we are working to establish if there is any link between that assault and Glenn's subsequent murder."
Mr Murphy described the circumstances leading up to the discovery of Mr Quinn's body.
"A friend of Glenn's reported a concern for his safety on Saturday," he said. "Police officers responded and forced entry to the home where they found Glenn's body.
"We now know he was the victim of an attack, sustaining blunt force trauma that I believe resulted in his death.
"Glenn was well-known throughout Carrickfergus and had no known enemies and no reason that we are aware of for anyone to cause him harm.
Addressing reports of UDA involvement, Mr Murphy said: "We are aware rumours are circulating regarding the involvement of the South East Antrim UDA in the killing.
"In this type of investigation, rumour and speculation are unhelpful. They have the possibility to raise tensions and put others at risk. We want to carry out a sound investigation, not confused by rumour or gossip, and I would encourage people to speak to us directly and tell us what they know so we can establish what the facts are."
Police have appealed to anyone who was in contact with Mr Quinn since Christmas Day to get in touch with them.
A 38-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman were arrested in Carrickfergus after searches of properties on Sunday evening. However, police only confirmed the arrests yesterday. A third man, aged 39, was arrested after searches in Newtownards, Co Down, on Monday.
Police announced late last night that the investigation had become a murder inquiry.
