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.
Continue reading “110 – Too little, Too late: The murder of Amanda Jenkins”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
A burning car was found in a country lane, just outside of Wexford Town in 2009. When emergency services examined it’s remaining shell, the body of a woman was found. It was local woman, 30 year old mother of two Rebecca French.
But would there be any justice for Rebecca?
Continue reading “108 – Bonus: Rebecca French”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.
Continue reading “107 – The Day Trip: Bettina Poeschel”In August of 2005, 23 year old Ann Walsh was found dead in the grounds of the parish church in Kilrush, Co Clare. Gardai made an arrest shortly after the discovery – Raymond Donovan, Ann’s former boyfriend.
Donovan admitted to gardai that he had killed Ann, but denied her murder. Would the jury agree?
Continue reading “106 – Unintended: The murder of Ann Walsh”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.
Continue reading “105 – Vendetta: The murder of Tracy Butler”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.
Continue reading “104 – Brazen: The murder of Rose Farrelly”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?
Continue reading “103 – A killing at Christmas: The murder of Maire Rankin”In 2004, 41 year old mother of 6, Colleen Mulder was found dead in her bed. Quickly, her husband Anton was arrested. Was Anton being abused? Or was he suffering from a mental disorder?
It would take 4 years of court proceedings to decide.
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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:
DPP v Mulder [2007] IECCA 63
DPP v Mulder [2009] IECCA 45
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Aodhan O’Faolain, “Wife had sex twice with me, says witness” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wife-had-sex-twice-with-me-says-witness-26383043.html (5 May 2006)
“Trial hears accused intended to kill wife” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/trial-hears-accused-intended-to-kill-wife-1.781740 (5 May 2006)
“Accused spoke of taking cash to South Africa, court hears” in The Irish Times (5 May 2006) p. 4.
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“Judge Bars two from court in Mulder trial” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/judge-bars-two-from-court-in-mulder-trial-1.999362(6 May 2006)
Aodhan O’Faolain, “Murder accused’s children ‘never saw him hit mother’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/murder-accuseds-children-never-saw-him-hit-mother-26383629.html (9 May 2006)
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Anne-Marie Walsh and Sarah Stack “Family sheds tears of relief as husband is jailed for killing wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/family-sheds-tears-of-relief-as-husband-is-jailed-for-killing-wife-26383997.html (11 May 2006)
‘Husband given life sentence for wife’s murder” in The Irish Times (11 May 2006) p. 4
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“South African man convicted of murdering wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/south-african-man-convicted-of-murdering-wife-26346988.html (24 January 2008)
“In short: murder trial jury spends night in hotel” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/in-short-1.931434 (24 January 2008)
Abigail Rieley, “Justice at last for family as wife-killer gets life” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/justice-at-last-for-family-as-wife-killer-gets-life-26347069.html (25 January 2008)
Louise Hogan and Abigail Rieley, “Two trials but there was only one verdict – guilty” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/two-trials-but-there-was-only-one-verdict-guilty-26347070.html (25 January 2008)
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“Decision reserved in murder appeal” in The Irish Times (1 April 2009) p. 4
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Ken Foy, “Free wife killer takes stroll in city sunshine” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/news/freed-wife-killer-takes-stroll-in-city-sunshine-39255645.html (3 May 2020)
Paul Healy, “Evil wife killer Anton Mulder moans that he’d rather be back in prison as he’s confronted in new bolthole” in The Irish Mirror https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/evil-wife-killer-anton-mulder-24159118 (24 May 2021)
In early May, 1996 – three women were killed violently in their own homes in separate incidents across Ireland. It all occurred in the space of three days.
In fact, 1996 would go on to be the year with the most violent deaths of women in recent history.