A man is hanged for the murder of his child, and presumed to be the his wife’s murderer, too. But three years later, in the same house that the couple had lived, more bodies were found.
Six More.
Including the wife of the man who had been the Crown’s star witness against Tim Evans in his murder trial.
This is the story of the serial murders of John Reginald Christie at Ten Rillington Place.
Continue reading “49 – Wrongful Conviction: Tim Evans & the serial murders of 10 Rillington Place”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.
Continue reading “38 – Tortured Teens: The horrific murders of Suzanne Capper & Sylvia Likens”It’s St Patrick’s day. Worldwide, buildings are being “greened”. Shamrock shakes are being consumed. Guinness is being poured, and we’re drowning the shamrock.
But, this time of year sees a lot of bad behaviour. Some directly as a result of our celebration of all things Irish and some… a little more premeditated.
This week, I’m joined by 4 other fabulous podcasts to tell the story of some St Patrick’s day crimes for you.
Special thanks this week to:
All Crime No Cattle ;
Southern Fried True Crime;
Gone Cold – Texas True Crime; and
Unresolved
for your kind contributions!
In October 1971, on a rural lane south of the village of Ratoath, Co Meath, Una Lynsky disappeared while walking a short distance from a bus stop to her home. Around that time, screams were heard and a strange car was seen driving up and down the lane. But three local lads, Dick Donnelly, Martin Kerrigan, and Martin Conmey found that they were the ones who had drawn the attention of the notorious Murder Squad of the Garda Siochana.
By the end of the year, two young people from Porterstown Lane would be dead. Two trials would follow and a series of appeals to try and clear a man’s name of guilt that did not belong to him.
Continue reading “34 – The murder of Una Lynsky, Wrongful Convictions & fight for Justice”In 1852, Sarah Maria Louisa Kirwan was found dead at the Long Hole on Ireland’s Eye as the tide receded. Her husband, William, had been painting a sunset scene of the Dublin Mountains and told the boatmen who returned to get them from the craggy island in Dublin Bay that he had no idea what had happened to her. An inquest found that the poor woman had drowned.
But in Victorian Dublin, rumours spread quickly, and it was discovered William Burke Kirwan was living a double life – one that provided a motive for murder.
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In the final episode on the life and crimes of Archibald (Roy) Hall, we chart his activities over the final months of 1977 and into 1978. He had gone from butler and thief to murderer, when he turned against his lover and ex con David Wright. But that was far from his last murder, and the next couple of months he would kill employers, associates and family members, and drive thousands of miles across the UK, criss-crossing England and Scotland.
But eventually his crimes caught up with him, and Roy found himself before a court again – not once, but twice.
Continue reading “27 – Archibald Hall: Thief & Serial Killer (Part 2)”
In the first of a two part series, we take a look back on the life and crimes of Archibald Thompson Hall, aka Roy Hall, aka Roy Fontaine, the monster butler. Roy was born to a working class family in Glasgow, and from an early age wanted to live an extravagant lifestyle. One that he could not (or would not) achieve through hard work and graft. Roy preferred to take what he could. He became a thief and spent many years in and out of prison. In between these stints, he worked as a butler, to be close to the status he desired, and the belongs that went this, that he could steal.
How did this supposed high flying and often hapless thief turn murderer?
Continue reading “27 – Archibald Hall: Thief & Serial Killer (Part 1)”
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.
Continue reading “25 – The tragic murder of Catherine Cooper”
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.
Continue reading “20 – Mamie Cadden: Abortionist & Murderer”
This week, we take another trip back in time and have a look at three vintage murders. First, we crack open the 1832 autobiographical account of John Holloway, who murdered his first wife Celia and buried her body, hidden in a trunk, down a lovers lane.
Over 100 years later, two more trunks filled with murder victims’ bodies were found again in Brighton. One of these cases remains unsolved to this day, while the culprit for the other Toni Mancini, was never punished for his crime.
Continue reading “19 – The Brighton Trunk Murders: Unsolved Crimes”