44 – Missing & Murdered: Operation Trace

Women have been disappearing from, or ending up found dead in, the Wicklow Mountains for over 30 years. In this bonus episode we look at a man that is suspected to have committed some of these abductions and murders,  look back on a number of unsolved rape and murder cases in the 80’s, and bring the story right up-to-date with that latest unfortunate woman to have been killed and dumped in what is called “the vanishing triangle”.

So, what the heck is going on in the Wicklow Mountains?

Continue reading “44 – Missing & Murdered: Operation Trace”

43 – The Abduction & Murder of Sarah Payne

In the summer of 2000, 8 year old Sarah Payne was out playing in the evening sunshine with her two older brothers and her little sister. After falling, she ran out of the field and into a lane to head back to her grandparents with brother Lee following behind. 

But then, Sarah vanished. 

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The Featured Podcast Promo this week from the fabulous Michael at Murder Mile! Be sure to check this podcast out if you haven’t already.

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:
Sara Payne with Anna Gekoski, Sara Payne: A Mother’s Story (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2004)  Purchase here

The Murder Of: Sarah Payne – Sarah’s Law  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6WnnrU4fr4

“Timeline: Roy Whiting on trial” in  The Argushttps://www.theargus.co.uk/news/6768618.timeline-roy-whiting-on-trial/ (12 December 2001)   

Sam Webb, “Lost Angel: What happened to Sarah Payne, when did she disappear, who is Roy Whiting, and how old would Sarah be now?” in The Sunhttps://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4035555/sarah-payne-roy-whiting-age-crime/ (7 May 2019)   

James Rodger, “Sarah Payne killer Roy Whiting ‘ set to sue prison chiefs over being attacked FOUR times in jail” in The Birmingham Mailhttps://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/sarah-payne-killer-roy-whiting-15948540 (9 March 2019)   

Emma Dodds, “Siblings of murdered 8-year old Sarah Payne speak out for the first time about their guilt over her abduction” from Closer.co.ukhttps://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/sarah-payne-siblings-speak-witnessing-abduction/ (18 July 2017)   

Peter Griffiths, “Sarah Payne’s mother on hacking list – charity” from Rueters.comhttps://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-newscorp-hacking-payne/sarah-paynes-mother-on-hacking-list-charity-idUKTRE76R4QR20110728 (28 July 2011)   

Sarah Hall, “Whiting breaks silence in Sarah Payne trial” from The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/dec/05/childprotection.society (5 December 2001)   

Mark Oliver, “Whiting found guilty of Sarah Payne murder” in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2001/dec/12/childprotection.markoliver (12 December 2001)   

Paul Peachy, “I suffered a memory blank, says accused in Sarah trial” in The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/i-suffered-a-memory-blank-says-accused-in-sarah-trial-9241320.html (5 December 2001)   

Cathy Gordon, “Paedophile murderer Roy Whiting’s minimum jail term reduced” in The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/paedophile-murderer-roy-whitings-minimum-jail-term-reduced-1995299.html (9 June 2010)   

Helen Weathers, “Roy Whiting’s first victim” in The Daily Mailhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-95390/Roy-Whitings-victim.html (undated)   

“Trial told of trip to funfair Whiting denies prowling for child” in The Herald Scotlandhttps://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12133206.trial-told-of-trip-to-funfair-whiting-denies-prowling-for-child/ (5 December 2001)   

“’Sarah’s Law’ sees 700 paedophiles identified” from BBC.comhttps://www.bbc.com/news/uk-25489541 (23 December 2013) 

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sarah_Payne & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Whiting

41 – Attacked: The murder of Karen Buckley

In April of 2015, two countries were gripped by the disappearance of a 24 year old nurse. Karen Buckley, from Co. Cork had gone on a night out in Glasgow’s busy West End. But she didn’t return home.

Quickly a police search for the missing woman was up and running. But it would prove to be too late. Karen’s fate was sealed mere minutes after she told her friends goodbye.

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36 – Holly & Jessica: The Soham Murders

In 2002, two ten year old girls – Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman – went missing in the quiet and idyllic English town of Soham. It quickly became apparent that the girls had not simply wandered off. What followed was two week search for them, and the revelation that a terrible crime had taken place.

The shocking truth was that the girls had been murdered by a member of their community, someone they knew. And someone they trusted.

Continue reading “36 – Holly & Jessica: The Soham Murders”

33 – The murder of Robert Holohan: Broken Trust

On the afternoon of the 6th January, 2005 Robert Holohan rode his brand new silver BMX bike down his drive and out onto the roads of Ballyedmond, a townland north of Midleton in rural East Cork. 

When Robert didn’t return home that evening, and had not answered his new phone, a search began that would bring people from all over the country to the area to volunteer to look for the 11 year old, alongside the Gardai and the army. But, just over a week later, Roberts body was found in a deep ditch, caught up in brambles, alongside Inch Strand. He was 12 miles from his home. 

The Garda investigation worked quickly, and it soon became apparent that Robert had not gotten far from home, before he was killed. 

Continue reading “33 – The murder of Robert Holohan: Broken Trust”