Tag: murder

68 – Mountain Mysteries: The murder of Phyllis Murphy

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Cold Case, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, Landmark Case, Life Sentence, murder, Serial Killer, sex crimes, unsolved

Just before Christmas 1979, 23 year old Phyllis Murphy disappeared while waiting on a bus in Newbridge, Co Kildare. Her body was found in an isolated spot 25 miles away at Turlough Hill, Co Wicklow a month later.

After a huge search and investigation, the gardai had no leads as to who was responsible for her death. But in 1998, DNA in Phyllis’ case was tested as part of Operation Trace. As a result of that, 53 year old John Crerar – a neighbour of Phyllis’ remaining family – stood trial at the Dublin Central Criminal Court.

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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 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.

Continue reading “63 – Under the cover of Darkness: Dolores Lynch & Lyn Madden” →

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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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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57 – Unsolved: The murder of Grace Livingstone

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, murder, murder for profit, Organised Crime, unsolved, Wrongly Accused

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.

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56 – Predator: The deaths of Patricia McGauley and Mary Cummins

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Domestic Violence, Human Rights, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, sadism, sex crimes

1990 was a decade of missing women. We remember the names of the unfound – Annie McCarrick, Eva Brennan, Jo Jo Dollard, Deirdre Jacob.

The names Patricia McGauley and Mary Cummins were once on that list. These two women disappeared from Dublin in the space of a year, and it wasn’t until a large scale review of cases of missing women from Dublin that a startling link was discovered between the two women. Both of them had unknowingly spent time with a predator: Michael Bambrick.

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55 – Murder by Arson: The McCann Family

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Child Victim, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, murder for profit

In the summer of 1992, the McCann Family endured a series of gas leaks in their home, and a spate of threatening phone calls. These nuisances escalated quickly though, and culminated in a raging fire in their Rathfarnham home. Esther McCann and her foster daughter, Jessica, died in the blaze.

Investigators ruled that this was a case of arson, and gardai quickly discovered that Frank McCann – the grieving father and husband – had some dark secrets.

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