Just before Christmas 1979, 23 year old Phyllis Murphy disappeared while waiting on a bus in Newbridge, Co Kildare. Her body was found in an isolated spot 25 miles away at Turlough Hill, Co Wicklow a month later.
After a huge search and investigation, the gardai had no leads as to who was responsible for her death. But in 1998, DNA in Phyllis’ case was tested as part of Operation Trace. As a result of that, 53 year old John Crerar – a neighbour of Phyllis’ remaining family – stood trial at the Dublin Central Criminal Court.
In February of 2015, 16 year old Becky Watts was reported missing by her family. A city – wide search ensued for the shy and socially anxious teenager.
But it would turn out that Becky, and the answers about what had become of her, would be found much closer to home than initially thought.
In the early 1980s, there was a series of kidnap-for-ransom crimes committed in the Republic by the Provisional IRA in order to raise funds to finance their organisation and its terrorist operations here and in the UK.
One of the victims of these abductions was prominent businessman, Don Tidey, and Englishman who was the senior executive of the Quinnsworth group of supermarkets. Tidey was held for 23 days in Derrada wood, Co Leitrim. He as rescued by the gardai and the army, but a garda probationer and an army private were killed during the operation.
Though a number of people were charged in relation to the kidnap, no one has ever been charged in relation to the two killings.
In September of 1977, Kirk Anderson a 21 year old American Mormon missionary is reported missing in Ewell, a town just south and west of London. Three days later, Kirk turns up again. Reports emerged that he had been kidnapped by a woman who was obsessed with him, and forced to have sex with her.
But Joyce McKinney was a petite pretty blonde woman, and the British press and public were incredulous at the idea that anyone would have objected to her company for a few days and nights.
So, was Joyce McKinney a woman who was just trying to get her man back, or was she a deranged stalker who had kidnapped and raped a man?
A stranger snatching a child off the street is thankfully a rare thing. But throughout the 70s and 80s, in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, a number of young girls disappeared as if into thin air while walking alone. Most went missing in broad daylight. Some were found – their bodies dumped hundreds of miles from home. Some remain missing, presumed murdered.
In 1990, police in Scotland realised that many of these cases were linked. A delivery driver living in London was responsible for them all. Despite getting into trouble throughout his youth for sexually motivated attacks on younger children, Robert Black had been free to roam the country and target girls for decades.
*Episode Image: Jennifer Cardy (via The Irish Times Archive)
In 1976, there was a crime spree in Ireland. Houses and caravans were burgled, cars were stolen, and then two women went missing. Elizabeth Plunkett disappeared in Brittas Bay in Wicklow, and a month later, across the country, Mary Duffy went missing without a trace.
The gardai discovered that all these crimes were related, and had been committed by two men who had only arrived into the country a year before from England, where they were wanted in relation to a number of sexual assaults.
John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans would go on to be some of the longest serving prisoners in Ireland.
In March of 2002, Milly Dowler went missing. She was 13 years old and had been walking home after school that afternoon, down a busy road in a familiar area, near to her middle class home. Despite efforts by Surrey police to locate her there were no leads. Her body was found 20 miles away over 6 months later.
No one knew who had taken Milly, or what had happened to her. Nor was it know that hers would be the first – and most high profile – in a series of murders and violent attacks carried out by a man who hated women and young girls.
This is the story of the murders of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy and their murderer, known as The Bus Stop Killer.
Casper Wyoming is a quiet town. But in 1973, it was marred by an horrific crime. Two girls, sisters – Becky Thompson and Amy Burridge – were snatched off the street, attacked and driven 35 miles to an iron bridge over Fremont Canyon. Then the two men that took them threw them over.
But one of the girls survived the 112 foot fall and identified Ronald Kennedy and Jerry Jenkins as the men who attacked them. Still, tragedy would follow her.
Women have been disappearing from, or ending up found dead in, the Wicklow Mountains for over 30 years. In this bonus episode we look at a man that is suspected to have committed some of these abductions and murders, look back on a number of unsolved rape and murder cases in the 80’s, and bring the story right up-to-date with that latest unfortunate woman to have been killed and dumped in what is called “the vanishing triangle”.
So, what the heck is going on in the Wicklow Mountains?
In the summer of 2000, 8 year old Sarah Payne was out playing in the evening sunshine with her two older brothers and her little sister. After falling, she ran out of the field and into a lane to head back to her grandparents with brother Lee following behind.
