67 – Honor Bright: Murder in the Free State

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Capital Punishment, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Human Rights, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, murder, sex crimes, unsolved, Vintage murder, Wrongly Accused

In 1925, while the Irish Free State was still in its infancy after the close of the civil war, the body of a young woman was found dead lying at a lonely cross roads in South County Dublin. Her name was Honor Bright, a woman who made her living as a sex worker in town.

Two men were tried for her shooting death, but was her killing a the result of her “unfortunate” status, or part of an attempt to keep scandal away from the halls of power in a newly-independent Ireland?

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66 – A Family Destroyed: The murder of Becky Watts

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Kidnapping, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, sex crimes, UK Crime, Women Who Kill

In February of 2015, 16 year old Becky Watts was reported missing by her family. A city – wide search ensued for the shy and socially anxious teenager.

But it would turn out that Becky, and the answers about what had become of her, would be found much closer to home than initially thought.

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65 – A Deadly Affair: The killing of Penny McAllister

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Controversial Case, Insanity Defence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, Mental Health, murder, UK Crime, Women Who Kill

In the early 1980s, there was a series of kidnap-for-ransom crimes committed in the Republic by the Provisional IRA in order to raise funds to finance their organisation and its terrorist operations here and in the UK.

One of the victims of these abductions was prominent businessman, Don Tidey, and Englishman who was the senior executive of the Quinnsworth group of supermarkets. Tidey was held for 23 days in Derrada wood, Co Leitrim. He as rescued by the gardai and the army, but a garda probationer and an army private were killed during the operation.

Though a number of people were charged in relation to the kidnap, no one has ever been charged in relation to the two killings.

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63 – Under the cover of Darkness: Dolores Lynch & Lyn Madden

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Domestic Violence, Human Rights, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime, sex crimes

In 1983, three women died in an horrific house fire at Blackpitts in Dublin. It would emerge that one of them – 34 year old Dolores Lynch – had been targeted by a violent and vengeful pimp. John Cullen was alleged to have held a grudge against the former sex worker for pursuing charges against him for an assault seven years before.

In the course of getting justice for Dolores Lynch, there would be shocking revelations about what went on in Dublin City under the cover of darkness.

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62 – Kidnap: Joyce McKinney

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Kidnapping, Mental Health, sex crimes, UK Crime, US Crime

In September of 1977, Kirk Anderson a 21 year old American Mormon missionary is reported missing in Ewell, a town just south and west of London. Three days later, Kirk turns up again. Reports emerged that he had been kidnapped by a woman who was obsessed with him, and forced to have sex with her.

But Joyce McKinney was a petite pretty blonde woman, and the British press and public were incredulous at the idea that anyone would have objected to her company for a few days and nights.

So, was Joyce McKinney a woman who was just trying to get her man back, or was she a deranged stalker who had kidnapped and raped a man?

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61 – Retrial: The murder of Jong Ok Shin

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Drug-related, Human Rights, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Serial Killer, sex crimes, UK Crime, Wrongly Accused

On 12th July, 2002 Jong Ok Shin a Korean language student was brutally murdered while living in Bournemouth. A local drug addicted man, Omar Benguit was quickly identified as the prime suspect. 

But shortly after, it would emerge that at the time of Ms Shin’s death, a man that had committed two murders, was living just streets away. 

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60 – Siege: The death of John Carthy

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Human Rights, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Mental Health, Public Inquiry, Wrongly Accused

In April of 2000, 27 year old John Carthy, who suffered from bi-polar disorder, barricaded himself in his family home while in the throws of a manic episode. The gardai were called, and soon the old, dilapidated bungalow was surrounded by armed officers. 

What followed was a standoff that lasted over 24 hours, and resulted in the tragic death of John. 

But where the gardai responsible? 

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59 – A Miscarriage of Justice: Nora Wall

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Human Rights, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Life Sentence, Mental Health, sex crimes, Wrongly Accused

In 1996, former nun with the Sisters of Mercy Nora Wall was accused of rape by a girl who had formerly been in her care at a group home in Cappoquin, Co Waterford. Alongside her, a homeless man, Paul “Pablo” McCabe, who had once been resident at the same institution was also implicated.

The two went to trial, but the affair would later be declared a miscarriage of justice. 

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58 – Murder by Mistake: Melanie McCarthy McNamara

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Drug-related, Human Rights, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, Life Sentence, murder, Organised Crime

Gangs and drugs effect nearly every community. But in 2012, the Dublin suburb of Tallaght was shocked by the spillover of violence. 16 year old Melanie McCarthy McNamara was shot while she sat in the back of a parked car on a residential street. The gunman had shot from the back of a black SUV and sped off immediately. 

Two men alleged to be involved in drugs locally were identified by gardai, and after protracted court battles have found themselves in prison in relation to Melanie’s killing.

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