Category: Kids who Kill

Bonus – Satanic Panic in Palmerstown

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, murder, Vintage murder

This episode was originally published as a Patreon exclusive on 2 December 2018

In this episode we take a look at the little-known so-called “satanic” murder of John Horgan (7) in Palmerstown, Dublin in 1973. John and his family lived in a quiet neighbourhood of 9 houses backing on to a field. It was there that his 16 year old neighbour, Lorcan Bale, took him and struck him in the back of the head, killing him.  Lorcan then brought John’s body to the attic of his house – next door to the Horgan’s – and trussed him up in the shape of a cross and in front of a home-made altar.

No real explanation for the murder would ever emerge. 

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136 – David Byrne: Murder in a Dark Corner

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, murder

In March of 2011, 19 year old David Byrne set out to meet someone near to his home in Drimnagh, Dublin City. Little did he know that he was walking into a trap. A panicked chase was caught on CCTV, but the final attack occurred in a dark corner out of sight of any cameras. Could his killer be identified from the footage?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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122 – Darragh Conroy: the mobile phone murder

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, murder

On the night of the 11th Nov, 2003, Patricia Conroy frantically searched the small midlands town of Mountmellick for her 14 year old son Darragh. He wasn’t answering the new mobile phone he’d just received and he hadn’t come home when expected.

Ms Conroy had no idea that hours earlier, Darragh had crossed paths with a schoolmate – 16 year old Darren Goodwin – and her son would not be coming home.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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115- Flawed Relationships: The killing of Julia O’Brien

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, murder

Before the sun had even risen on the morning of Christmas Eve, 1995 Julia O’Brien was discovered dead on the floor in her home in Drimoleague, Co Cork.

Julia was well known locally, as was her problem with alcohol but no one would have thought that the 46 year married mother of five would die after a severe beating and strangulation.

What had happened?

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91 – Pure Thuggery: The murders of Mariusz Szwajkos & Pawel Kalite

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Povocation

In February of 2008, two Polish men living and working in Drimnagh, South Dublin were killed in a fight outside their home. Both had been stabbed in the head with a screwdriver. It quickly emerged that the fight had involved a group of teenagers.

Would Gardai be able to identify his killer or killers prove their lethal intent?

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73 – The Park: The Killing of Rachel Kiely

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, murder, sex crimes

22 year old Rachel Kiely left home in Ballincollig, Co. Cork with her two dogs on the afternoon of the 26th of October 2000. Her dogs returned to the house, but she didn’t. A few hours later, her body was discovered hidden in undergrowth at the local park.

The person responsible would spend the next two decades in and out of court.

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66 – A Family Destroyed: The murder of Becky Watts

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Kidnapping, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, sex crimes, UK Crime, Women Who Kill

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.

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58 – Murder by Mistake: Melanie McCarthy McNamara

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Drug-related, Human Rights, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, murder, Organised Crime

Gangs and drugs effect nearly every community. But in 2012, the Dublin suburb of Tallaght was shocked by the spillover of violence. 16 year old Melanie McCarthy McNamara was shot while she sat in the back of a parked car on a residential street. The gunman had shot from the back of a black SUV and sped off immediately. 

Two men alleged to be involved in drugs locally were identified by gardai, and after protracted court battles have found themselves in prison in relation to Melanie’s killing.

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38 – Tortured Teens: The horrific murders of Suzanne Capper & Sylvia Likens

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Collabouration, Controversial Case, Discrimination, Drug-related, Kidnapping, Kids who Kill, Mental Health, Organised Crime, sadism, torture, UK Crime, US Crime, Vintage murder, Women Who Kill

Early on a December morning, in 1991, Suzanne Capper (16) was found wandering on a quiet laneway south of Manchester. She was half naked, and her body had been burned badly. She was brought to hospital, but died 4 days later of her injuries.

It quickly emerged that she had been held in a house, tied up and tortured for nearly a week before her death. These horrific acts were committed by people she had considered friends. She was able to name them before she died, and they were held responsible for their crimes.

But Suzanne is far from the only young girl who has suffered torture at the hands of a group of people that she knew.

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33 – The murder of Robert Holohan: Broken Trust

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, Kids who Kill, Mental Health, murder

On the afternoon of the 6th January, 2005 Robert Holohan rode his brand new silver BMX bike down his drive and out onto the roads of Ballyedmond, a townland north of Midleton in rural East Cork. 

When Robert didn’t return home that evening, and had not answered his new phone, a search began that would bring people from all over the country to the area to volunteer to look for the 11 year old, alongside the Gardai and the army. But, just over a week later, Roberts body was found in a deep ditch, caught up in brambles, alongside Inch Strand. He was 12 miles from his home. 

The Garda investigation worked quickly, and it soon became apparent that Robert had not gotten far from home, before he was killed. 

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