Editing Shankill Butchers (section)

===Formation===
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In May 1975, Murphy was released from prison, where he had married Margaret Gillespie. During his imprisonment, a daughter had been born to the couple. He spent much of his time frequenting [[public house|pubs]] on the Shankill Road, assembling a paramilitary team that would enable him to act with some freedom from the UVF leadership (Brigade Staff). Murphy's inner circle consisted of two people whom Dillon was unable to name for legal reasons but whom he called Murphy's "personal friends". These were a "Mr. A" and [[John Murphy (loyalist)|John Murphy]], one of Lenny Murphy's brothers (referred to as "Mr. B"). Further down the chain of command were Lenny Murphy's "sergeants" [[William Moore (loyalist)|William Moore]] and [[Robert Bates (loyalist)|Bobby "Basher" Bates]], a UVF member and former prisoner.<ref name="Dillon 2009">[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/a-legacy-of-hatred-14312998.html] "A legacy of hatred", ''Sunday Life'', 24 May 2009</ref>

Moore, formerly a worker in a meat-processing factory, had stolen several large knives and meat-cleavers from his old workplace, tools that would later be used in more murders. Another prominent figure was Sam McAllister, who used his physical presence to intimidate others. On 2 October 1975, the gang raided a drinks premises in nearby Millfield. On finding that its four employees (two females and two males) were Catholics, Murphy shot three of them dead and ordered an accomplice to kill the fourth. By then, Murphy was using the upper floor of the Brown Bear pub at the corner of Mountjoy Street and the Shankill Road near his home as an occasional meeting-place for his unit.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}