85 – Monster in the Garage: Patricia Murphy

In May of 1996, a woman’s body was found behind a skip in Glasnevin, Dublin city. Late on the 27th, Patricia Murphy had been reported missing from her nearby home.In order for her family to find justice, however, three of her young children would have to give evidence in court to put the perpetrator away – the monster in the garage.

This episode was researched and written by Eileen MacFarlene of the Crimelapse podcast.

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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/

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https://www.irishtimes.com/news/battered-wife-tried-to-conceal-the-marks-of-her-beatings-1.228260

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/dismay-as-mother-of-four-is-murdered-1.53517

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/post-mortem-results-expected-today-on-murdered-mother-1.53444

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/gardai-in-search-for-murdered-woman-s-clothing-1.53824

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/over-100-pay-respects-to-murdered-woman-1.54177

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/search-continues-for-victim-s-clothing-1.54503

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/steady-progress-in-murder-inquiry-1.54943

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-held-on-murphy-death-is-released-1.56185

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/suspects-s-re-arrest-legal-in-murder-hunt-judge-rules-1.82796

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/husband-of-murder-victim-loses-high-court-challenge-on-detention-1.82700

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/it-was-a-year-when-ireland-seemed-a-more-dangerous-place-to-be-a-woman-1.119653

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/inquest-on-murdered-woman-is-adjourned-1.60981

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/husband-charged-with-murdering-mother-of-four-1.63472

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-on-wife-murder-charge-seeks-bail-1.63872

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-gets-bail-in-wife-murder-case-1.64697

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/life-policy-pay-out-to-accused-man-1.65092

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/wife-murder-trial-is-delayed-1.87746

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/further-remand-in-murder-case-1.105459

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-pleads-not-guilty-to-wife-murder-1.220470

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/delayed-murder-trial-to-open-1.221299

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/accused-man-s-children-to-tell-of-seeing-mother-s-body-1.221769

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/boy-5-tells-of-daddy-hammering-mammy-1.222333

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/children-tell-how-they-saw-mother-dead-in-garage-1.222264

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/neighbour-heard-high-pitched-screaming-1.223141

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-trial-adjourned-for-discussions-1.223553

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/dead-woman-s-mother-tells-of-phone-calls-1.223955

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murphy-said-gardai-were-not-clever-enough-to-catch-him-out-1.225874

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https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-accused-repeatedly-denies-having-killed-his-wife-1.227126

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83 – The Disappearance of Philip Cairns

On Thursday the 26th of October 1986, Philip Cairns left his Ballyroan Road home after eating his lunch. He was headed back to school. But he never made it there. An intensive search followed, but there were no signs of the 13 year old.

A week later, his school bag was found in a nearby laneway, left there by persons unknown. Despite searches of the Rathfarnham area, including rivers, overgrown areas, large parklands and in the foothills of the Dublin mountains, there was no further sign of the school boy.

What became of Philip Cairns?

Continue reading “83 – The Disappearance of Philip Cairns”

81 – A Voyage of Fiction: The murder of Aoife Phelan

In October of 2012, 30 year old Aoife Phelan went missing without a trace. Aoife had simply left a friends house and vanished with no sign of what might become of her. A garda investigation began to find the woman who had told hr family she was 4 months pregnant.

It would be a long two weeks before police discovered what had become of her.

Continue reading “81 – A Voyage of Fiction: The murder of Aoife Phelan”

79 – Savage: The murder of James Healy

In February of 1996, 16 year old James Healy was found brutally beaten in a field near his home in Tralee. It wouldn’t be long before gardai zeroed in on their prime suspect – a 25 year old man diagnosed with anti social personality disorder.

In fact, police feared that he would one day murder.

Continue reading “79 – Savage: The murder of James Healy”

76 – House of Horrors: Cork’s missing men

Just before Christmas 1994, Patch O’Driscoll went missing from his bedsit in Cork City. When the garda investigation began into his missing persons case, it was discovered two other men had also disappeared from the very same house on Wellington Terrace. Though there was no evidence of a crime scene inside the large dilapidated building, the cause was certainly within.

But there would be few answers and no justice in the case.

Continue reading “76 – House of Horrors: Cork’s missing men”

75 – Pathological: The murders of Lesley Clarke and Trevor Buchanan

In May of 1991, the bodies of Lesley Clarke and Trevor Buchanan were discovered in a fume filled car, parked in Lesley’s deceased father’s garage. The deaths were ruled a tragic double suicide – probably the result of the affair that Lesley and Trevor’s spouses were carrying on together.

But 18 years later, a startling confession would launch a renewed investigation into the deaths, this time as a case of murder. The prime suspects were the victim’s spouses – Colin Howell and Hazel Buchanan.

Continue reading “75 – Pathological: The murders of Lesley Clarke and Trevor Buchanan”

74 – Marilyn Rynn: The Shortcut

In December of 1995, 41 year old Marilyn Rynn disappeared after attending her workplace Christmas party. Two weeks later her body was found hidden in bushes at a park near to her home. She had been attacked as she took a shortcut on her journey home.

A combination of cutting edge forensic techniques and old fashioned police work solved her murder 8 months later.

Continue reading “74 – Marilyn Rynn: The Shortcut”

73 – The Park: The Killing of Rachel Kiely

22 year old Rachel Kiely left home in Ballincollig, Co. Cork with her two dogs on the afternoon of the 26th of October 2000. Her dogs returned to the house, but she didn’t. A few hours later, her body was discovered hidden in undergrowth at the local park.

The person responsible would spend the next two decades in and out of court.

Continue reading “73 – The Park: The Killing of Rachel Kiely”

72 – The Missing Postman: Larry Griffin

On Christmas Day, 1929, postman Larry Griffen went to work in the small village of Stradbally, Co Waterford. As he called into homes with the post, he was thanked with tips and a few drinks. That night, Larry never made it home. His bike was found abandoned in the middle of the road.

A conspiracy of silence kept the truth of what happened to Larry Griffin from his family, and still does to this day.

Continue reading “72 – The Missing Postman: Larry Griffin”

71 – A Walk in the Dark: The murder of Rachel Moran

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”