32 – Ron Williamson, Wrongful Convictions & Murders in Ada (Part 2)

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Drug-related, Human Rights, Insanity Defence, 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 and Dennis had very different journeys through their appeals processes, but both of their fates lay in the testing of DNA evidence. Would new science finally exonerate them?

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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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30 – Sharon Collins: Lying Eyes, Hitman4Hire, & attempted murder

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Black Widow, Controversial Case, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Mental Health, murder, Women Who Kill

In 2006, Sharon Collins decided that what she had wasn’t enough. She was a divorced mother of two, living with a long term partner, PJ Howard, who also had two sons. He also owned a multi-million euro property business, which he wanted to pass to his sons. So much so that he wouldn’t marry Sharon in order to ensure this. But despite the lavish lifestyle Sharon lived – nice houses, a penthouse apartment in Spain, a boat, basically anything she wanted – Sharon wanted more.

So, she got on her computer and between searches for weight loss and diet tips, she looked for a hitman. And she found one. 

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29 – The murders of Thomas Murray & life sentences

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Mental Health, murder, Public Inquiry

The small town of Ballygar was shocked when 73 year old bachelor farmer William Mannion was found stabbed to death on his kitchen floor. A local youth was responsible. He was brought to trial, found guilty and received the mandatory life sentence. How was it then, that 17 years later, the same man would be able to kill another elderly resident of Ballygar, Nancy Nolan (84) in a senseless and motiveless crime?

This week, we look at the murders committed by Thomas Murray in East Galway and how life sentences in Ireland don’t really mean life.

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28 – Murder on Ireland’s Eye

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, murder, Vintage murder, Wrongly Accused

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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27 – Archibald Hall: Thief & Serial Killer (Part 2)

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Mental Health, murder, Scottish Crimes, Serial Killer, UK Crime, Vintage 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.

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27 – Archibald Hall: Thief & Serial Killer (Part 1)

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, murder, Scottish Crimes, Serial Killer, UK Crime, Vintage murder

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?

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26 – Fiona Donnison & Mothers who Murder

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Insanity Defence, Intimate Partner Violence, Mental Health, murder, UK Crime, Women Who Kill

On the morning of Wednesday, 27th January 2010, 45 year old mother of four Fiona Donnison walked into a police station in Heathfield, East Sussex. She was distressed, had what appeared to be self inflicted wounds and was making little sense. But then, she shocked police by telling them that she had killed her two small children, Harry (3) and Elise (2).

They were found soon after in the boot of her car, parked around the corner from the home that she had once shared with her children and her ex-partner, Paul.

In this episode, we tell the story of Fiona Donnison, and explore the reasons why some mothers turn murderous. What was Fiona’s excuse?

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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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24 – Bruce Lee: Murder by Arson

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Insanity Defence, Kids who Kill, Mental Health, murder, Public Inquiry, Serial Killer, UK Crime

In December 1979, the Hastie home on Selby Street in Hull caught fire in the early hours of the morning. Three of Hastie boys would die of their injuries. It was apparent from the beginning that the fire was arson: there were matches left and a trail of paraffin at the front door, and there was the smell of accelerant in the air. In an attempt to find out who would want to hurt the family, it became apparent that they were strongly disliked, but still there were no real leads. Until, that is, the police picked up 19 year old Bruce George Peter Lee.

He admitted to setting the Hastie fire. And then shockingly admitted to another 10 arsons in the Hull area. No one had suspected these fires were malicious. But should the police believe this young man with a troubled background?

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