131 – For the Love of Money: The murder of Paul Jones

On August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit, Self Defence, Women Who Kill

In September of 2019, Paul Jones was found dead in the hallway of his home on Bandon Road, in Cork. The 54 year old had a chequered past, but for the last decade had lived a quiet and pious life, bothering no one. Despite this, he had suffered 25 stab wounds to his side and had been hit in the head with a long, machete-like blade.

Though he had no known quarrels with anyone, there was someone in Paul Jones’ life who had a reason to do him harm.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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129 – A Battle for Justice: The murder of Brian Fitzgerald

On July 24, 2023July 24, 2023 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Drug-related, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder for profit, Organised Crime, unsolved

In the early hours of 29th November, 2002, 34 year old father of two arrived home from working his shift as the security manager at a popular nightclub in Limerick City.

He was shot to death in his driveway in a suspected gangland killing.

Would gardai be able to find enough evidence to bring members of one of Limerick’s most notorious gangs before a court?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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128 – A Questionable Conviction: The deaths of Margaret and Martin Glynn

On July 10, 2023July 10, 2023 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Cold Case, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit, Vintage murder, Wrongly Accused

On a chilly Sunday morning in December of 1980, Michael Kelly arrived at a neighbours house in a panic. There was a fire in the house he was staying in nearby, and inside were the two elderly siblings who he was there to look after.

Sadly, Margaret and Martin Glynn – siblings in their 80s – were removed from the house and pronounced dead.

But was this a tragic accident, or a malicious act driven by greed?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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126 – Sex, Lies and Videotape: the murder of Gerry McGinley

On June 22, 2023June 22, 2023 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Black Widow, Domestic Violence, Drug-related, Intimate Partner Violence, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, murder, murder for profit, Organised Crime, Women Who Kill

In August of 2000, Gerry McGinley disappeared from his home near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. His wife Julie said he had packed up a plastic bag and had taken off.

The police investigation came up with numerous leads. Had Gerry fallen foul of the Real IRA? Or maybe he’d crossed drug dealers? Was his former lover – or indeed her husband – enraged enough to make him run, or worse? It also seemed likely Gerry had been blackmailing local men with videos they’d rather not exist…

Or perhaps the answer was much closer to home, and to be found in the newly re-decorated master bedroom of the McGinley’s bungalow…

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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

On March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 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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85 – Monster in the Garage: Patricia Murphy

On February 7, 2021February 6, 2021 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit

In May of 1996, a woman’s body was found behind a skip in Glasnevin, Dublin city. Late on the 27th, Patricia Murphy had been reported missing from her nearby home.In order for her family to find justice, however, three of her young children would have to give evidence in court to put the perpetrator away – the monster in the garage.

This episode was researched and written by Eileen MacFarlene of the Crimelapse podcast.

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Theme Music:

Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additional Music: Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/battered-wife-tried-to-conceal-the-marks-of-her-beatings-1.228260

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/dismay-as-mother-of-four-is-murdered-1.53517

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/post-mortem-results-expected-today-on-murdered-mother-1.53444

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/gardai-in-search-for-murdered-woman-s-clothing-1.53824

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/over-100-pay-respects-to-murdered-woman-1.54177

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/search-continues-for-victim-s-clothing-1.54503

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/steady-progress-in-murder-inquiry-1.54943

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-held-on-murphy-death-is-released-1.56185

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/suspects-s-re-arrest-legal-in-murder-hunt-judge-rules-1.82796

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/husband-of-murder-victim-loses-high-court-challenge-on-detention-1.82700

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/it-was-a-year-when-ireland-seemed-a-more-dangerous-place-to-be-a-woman-1.119653

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https://www.irishtimes.com/news/husband-charged-with-murdering-mother-of-four-1.63472

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-on-wife-murder-charge-seeks-bail-1.63872

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-gets-bail-in-wife-murder-case-1.64697

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/life-policy-pay-out-to-accused-man-1.65092

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/wife-murder-trial-is-delayed-1.87746

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/further-remand-in-murder-case-1.105459

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-pleads-not-guilty-to-wife-murder-1.220470

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/delayed-murder-trial-to-open-1.221299

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/accused-man-s-children-to-tell-of-seeing-mother-s-body-1.221769

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/boy-5-tells-of-daddy-hammering-mammy-1.222333

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/children-tell-how-they-saw-mother-dead-in-garage-1.222264

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/neighbour-heard-high-pitched-screaming-1.223141

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-trial-adjourned-for-discussions-1.223553

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/dead-woman-s-mother-tells-of-phone-calls-1.223955

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murphy-said-gardai-were-not-clever-enough-to-catch-him-out-1.225874

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/child-told-neighbour-mammy-was-asleep-1.226272

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/court-is-told-gardai-twisted-the-answers-of-murder-accused-1.226620

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-accused-repeatedly-denies-having-killed-his-wife-1.227126

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https://dublin.ie/live/stories/conor-dodd-and-luke-portess-glasnevin-cemetery-and-museum/

75 – Pathological: The murders of Lesley Clarke and Trevor Buchanan

On September 13, 2020September 13, 2020 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Black Widow, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, Mental Health, murder, murder for profit, Public Inquiry, sex crimes, Women Who Kill

In May of 1991, the bodies of Lesley Clarke and Trevor Buchanan were discovered in a fume filled car, parked in Lesley’s deceased father’s garage. The deaths were ruled a tragic double suicide – probably the result of the affair that Lesley and Trevor’s spouses were carrying on together.

But 18 years later, a startling confession would launch a renewed investigation into the deaths, this time as a case of murder. The prime suspects were the victim’s spouses – Colin Howell and Hazel Buchanan.

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57 – Unsolved: The murder of Grace Livingstone

On December 22, 2019April 16, 2020 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, murder, murder for profit, Organised Crime, unsolved, Wrongly Accused

In 1992, a murder unlike any other happened in the quiet seaside town of Malahide. Grace Livingstone (56) was bound and then shot in the head in her own home.

Gardai initially suspected that the culprit was someone close to her – Grace’s husband, Jim. But Jim himself suspected that whoever was responsible had taken their displeasure for him, and his position at the Irish taxing authority, out on poor Grace.

Her murder remains unsolved.

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55 – Murder by Arson: The McCann Family

On November 24, 2019April 16, 2020 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Child Victim, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, murder for profit

In the summer of 1992, the McCann Family endured a series of gas leaks in their home, and a spate of threatening phone calls. These nuisances escalated quickly though, and culminated in a raging fire in their Rathfarnham home. Esther McCann and her foster daughter, Jessica, died in the blaze.

Investigators ruled that this was a case of arson, and gardai quickly discovered that Frank McCann – the grieving father and husband – had some dark secrets.

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52 – Betrayal: The murder of Mary Gough

On October 13, 2019April 16, 2020 By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit

Mary Gough tragically fell down the stairs in her home, only 6 months after her wedding day. Or, at least that’s what her husband, Colin Whelan, said. When Mary was rushed to the hospital after this purported accident, the Gardai did not take him at his word.

His story did not add up, and Colin Whelan was charged with with Mary’s murder. But when Whelan’s car was discovered at the top of Howth Head near the seaside cliffs, people thought that there would be no justice for Mary.

But they were wrong.

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