Tag: true crime podcast

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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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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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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54 – The Serial Child Murders of Robert Black

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, sadism, Scottish Crimes, Serial Killer, sex crimes, UK Crime, unsolved

A stranger snatching a child off the street is thankfully a rare thing. But throughout the 70s and 80s, in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, a number of young girls disappeared as if into thin air while walking alone. Most went missing in broad daylight. Some were found – their bodies dumped hundreds of miles from home. Some remain missing, presumed murdered.

In 1990, police in Scotland realised that many of these cases were linked. A delivery driver living in London was responsible for them all. Despite getting into trouble throughout his youth for sexually motivated attacks on younger children, Robert Black had been free to roam the country and target girls for decades.

*Episode Image: Jennifer Cardy (via The Irish Times Archive)

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53 – Exorcism: The death of Christine Taylor

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Insanity Defence, Intimate Partner Violence, Mental Health, murder, UK Crime

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.

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52 – Betrayal: The murder of Mary Gough

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit

Mary Gough tragically fell down the stairs in her home, only 6 months after her wedding day. Or, at least that’s what her husband, Colin Whelan, said. When Mary was rushed to the hospital after this purported accident, the Gardai did not take him at his word.

His story did not add up, and Colin Whelan was charged with with Mary’s murder. But when Whelan’s car was discovered at the top of Howth Head near the seaside cliffs, people thought that there would be no justice for Mary. 

But they were wrong.

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