Category: Life Sentence

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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121 – For Reasons Unknown: The murder of Kenneth O’Brien

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit, Organised Crime, Self Defence

In January of 2016, people started to find body parts wrapped in shopping bags on a stretch of the Grand Canal in Co. Kildare. To gardai, this looked like a gangland hit. But when the remains were identified as 33 year old Kenneth O’Brien, it was quickly determined that he was not known to be involved in anything illegal.

Why was Kenneth O’Brien killed?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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120 – Dear Diary: The murder of Alison Shaughnessy

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Cold Case, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, murder, UK Crime, unsolved, Vintage murder, Women Who Kill, Wrongly Accused

In June of 1991, 21 year old newly-wed Alison Shaughnessy was found lying in a pool of blood at the entrance to her flat in London by her husband John. After a stalled police investigation, two women were arrested and tried for Alison’s murder.

But is it possible that what was presented to the court as motive for her murder, gleaned from a 21 year old woman’s diary, had pointed police in the wrong direction?

Who killed Alison Shaughnessy?

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112 – A Terrible Thing: The murder of Marie Buckley

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, sex crimes, Vintage murder

On 9 November 1970, in the little village of Clonroche, Co Wexford, a young girl went missing. Just a few hours later her body was found dumped in a field not far from her home, and the main street of town.

The only certain thing at the outset of the investigation into 9 year old Marie Buckley’s murder was that this terrible thing had been done by someone local. 

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110 – Too little, Too late: The murder of Amanda Jenkins

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Domestic Violence, Drug-related, Intimate Partner Violence, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, Povocation

Amanda Jenkins was the sort of person who looked for the good in everyone. She was just 27 years old when she was found dead on her bedroom floor.

It had taken very little for the bad to emerge in someone Amanda had loved and trusted. 

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109 – No Air: The murder of Csaba Orsos

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, Povocation, Self Defence, Women Who Kill

On the morning of 26th March, 2013, a car entered the water at Arklow pier. Only one of it’s occupants emerged from the freezing, rough water. Was it a terrible accident? Or a plan to murder?


Additional writing, research and editorial support from Eileen MacFarlene

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107 – The Day Trip: Bettina Poeschel

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, Serial Killer, sex crimes

On 25th September, 2001, 28 year old German tourist Bettina Poeschel took a train from Dublin to Drogheda, Co Louth. She wanted to visit Newgrange – an ancient monument in the Meath countryside. She decided to make the 10km walk from the town to take in the countryside while there.

But Bettina never made it to Newgrange. 

She had disappeared into thin air.

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105 – Vendetta: The murder of Tracy Butler

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime, Women Who Kill

In July of 1993, 17 year old Tracy Butler was set upon and stabbed to death while walking home in what appeared to be a random act of violence. But as gardai began investigating the case, they began unravelling a complicated web of relationships – ones which had turned sour.

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104 – Brazen: The murder of Rose Farrelly

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

57 year old Rose Farrelly was found dead in her own home on the morning of the 15th February 1993. It appeared that the house had been broken into, and then the single woman had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled to death.

The trial for Rose’s murder was the first in Ireland to use DNA evidence.But the reason for Rose’s murder remains unclear – it appears the answer may be the most frightening of all.

He did it because he could.

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103 – A killing at Christmas: The murder of Maire Rankin

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, sex crimes, Women Who Kill

On Christmas morning, 2008, 81 year old widow Maire Rankin was not answering the phone. Family members called around to her Newry home to check on her – not only had she been recently ill but it was totally out of character for her to not respond. 

When they arrived at the house on the Dublin Road, Maire was found dead on her bedroom floor. The house was a mess, and it appeared that Mrs Rankin had been subjected to a violent assault of a sexual nature.
No one expected it when Maire’s 42 year old neighbour was arrested. Not only was Karen Walsh a woman, she was a wealthy pharmacist who stayed in her second home in Newry on the weekends.

What on earth had happened, and was the mother of one really responsible for the death of the elderly woman? 

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