Category: Landmark Case

32 – Ron Williamson, Wrongful Convictions & Murders in Ada (Part 1)

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, Controversial Case, Discrimination, Drug-related, Human Rights, Insanity Defence, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, US Crime, Wrongly Accused

The small town of Ada Oklahoma was rocked in the early 80s by two unrelated murders of young women in the town. But by the mid 90s, that would change. The town would come under scrutiny for miscarriages of justice, where two and possibly more men were convicted of crimes they did not commit.

Last month, Netflix released The Innocent Man, a 6 part series looking at these crimes and their aftermaths. This week on the podcast, we take an in-depth look into just one of those cases, that of the murder of Debbie Sue Carter and the wrongful convictions of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz.

Ron Williamson was an eccentric and unstable character. Was it this nature of his that made him a target for the Ada Police Department? 

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25 – The tragic murder of Catherine Cooper

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, Controversial Case, Insanity Defence, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, Vintage murder

In 1954, Nurse Catherine Cooper (64) lived and worked in Limerick city as a home sister, visiting the ill and infirm at their bedsides. She was originally from County Clare, but had spent much of her working life in London, until the outbreak of World War Two.

On the night of November 19th, 1954, she decided to walk back to her hospital from her last home visit. On the Dublin Road, she was spotted by a 24 year old carman, Michael Manning, who had been drinking all day. He attacked her, and she was killed on the roadside.

But was Manning legally responsible for her death?
 

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21 – Veronica Guerin: Gangland Murder of the Media (Part 2)

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Drug-related, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, Landmark Case, murder, Organised Crime

Veronica Guerin took on Ireland’s booming gangland criminals in 1994, who were flooding the country with cannabis and other illegal substances and engaging in an all out war with their competitors. When she approached John Gilligan, the man in charge, at his home, she set in motion a series of events that would lead to her death, and to the downfall of the criminal set she had set her eyes on.

The events of 1994 changed the landscape of organised crime in Ireland forever, as well how the authorities would attempt to curb their enjoyment of their assets. But would they be held responsible for Veronica’s death?

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21 – Veronica Guerin: Gangland Murder of the Media (Part 1)

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Drug-related, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, Landmark Case, murder, Organised Crime

 
In the 1990’s, Ireland saw a boom in organised crime and the importation of drugs that it had not experienced before. Criminals set themselves up at the head of drugs empires and reaped the benefit of their crimes to the tune of millions of pounds a year. Gardai struggled to keep up with these developments, and had no recourse to the extravagant spending of the crime bosses, who set up shell companies and owned expensive homes, vehicles and lived lavish lifestyles.
 
When Veronica Guerin, crime correspondent for the Sunday Independent, began asking questions of these gangsters, she found herself in the firing line. Quite literally.

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20 – Mamie Cadden: Abortionist & Murderer

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, Child Victim, Controversial Case, Human Rights, Insanity Defence, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, Vintage murder, Women Who Kill

Between the early 1920s and the 1950s, Ireland was a newly established developing country. The state and its society were going through many changes, and many growing pains. The establishment and new politicians were anxious to present Ireland as a good catholic place, taking it’s place on the international stage as a beacon of wholesome goodness, newly independent and thriving.

But despite this, Ireland was still a country inhabited by people, with all their failings. Despite the bans on contraception and abortion, both services were sought and obtained by the citizens.

It was into this that 34 year old Mamie Cadden moved in 1925, when she left Mayo to become a midwife in Dublin. She would soon be successful, and soon find herself treating women with procedures that were on the wrong side of the law.

Join us this week for the story of the Notorious Nurse Cadden, Dublin’s backstreet abortionist.

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18 – The murder of Declan Flynn & the story of Irish Pride

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Discrimination, Human Rights, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder

In honour of Pride month, and with the Dublin Pride Parade only a week away, this episode discusses the tragic case of the beating death of Declan Flynn in Fairview Park in 1983. Declan was a victim of a gang known to stalk the park at night, “queer bashing”.

We also chart the changes in Irish law since that point in terms of rights for the LGBT+ community, which culminated in the passing of the Marriage Equality referendum in 2015.

Happy Pride ya’ll!
 

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17 – The Dunblane Massacre & Gun Crimes

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, Public Inquiry, UK Crime

 

Thomas Hamilton was a loner. He decided to dedicate his life to running boys’ clubs to keep kids off the street, but its quite likely he had ulterior motives for this. His strange, erratic and inappropriate behaviour meant that he was not well liked, his his passion, his boys’ clubs, came under scrutiny. He also had a persecution complex, and as his life fell apart due to his own actions, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Thomas Hamilton became the man responsible for the Dunblane Massacre, the only school shooting in British History.

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16 – The Nally Case: Murder or Self Defence?

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Discrimination, Human Rights, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, Wrongly Accused

Living in an isoalted area is never easy. Its even more frightening when you’re and elderly farmer living on his own, certain that there are people scoping out your home for break-ins. Add that to high – profile incidents of violent robberies across the Irish countryside, and it most certainly becomes a tense situation. But does defending your land and property mean you can take a life?

In 2004 Padraig Nally faced this exact situation. But was he justified in his actions? And did discrimination play a part in the altercation at his farmhouse and the subsequent trial? This week we look at the the events surrounding the Nally Case and the impact it had on Irish Law.

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