In the early hours of New Years Day 2003, Rachel Moran decided leave her parents house and make the 20 minute walk to her own flat. Her worried mother tried to stop her, but Rachel said she would be fine: she’d ring as soon as she got in.
But the phone call never came.
And Rachel was never seen alive again.
Continue reading “71 – A Walk in the Dark: The murder of Rachel Moran”In 1967, a teacher was shot in her classroom in Dundee.
In 1976, two men escaped a mental hospital and killed three others in the process.
In 1979, three women were found beaten and strangled in a flat in Dundee.
All of these horrific events had one thing in common.
The name Robert Mone.
Continue reading “70 – Lives of Violence: Robert Mone”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?
Continue reading “67 – Honor Bright: Murder in the Free State”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.
Continue reading “64 – Hostage at Derrada Woods: The story of Don Tidey”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?
Continue reading “62 – Kidnap: Joyce McKinney”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?
Continue reading “60 – Siege: The death of John Carthy”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.
Continue reading “58 – Murder by Mistake: Melanie McCarthy McNamara”In 1992, a murder unlike any other happened in the quiet seaside town of Malahide. Grace Livingstone (56) was bound and then shot in the head in her own home.
Gardai initially suspected that the culprit was someone close to her – Grace’s husband, Jim. But Jim himself suspected that whoever was responsible had taken their displeasure for him, and his position at the Irish taxing authority, out on poor Grace.
Her murder remains unsolved.
Continue reading “57 – Unsolved: The murder of Grace Livingstone”This week, we delve into the world of the paranormal – sort of.
In 1974, in the small town of Ossett, northern England, Michael and Christine Taylor found religion. They became born again after attending a small Fellowship meeting in their community.
The meetings had a profound effect on Michael, and he began to act oddly. His behaviour led local clergy to suspect that Michael had been possessed by demons, and so an exorcism was in order. But, before the end of that process, someone would be dead.
Continue reading “53 – Exorcism: The death of Christine Taylor”