Mens Rea: A true crime podcast
Episodes
62 - Kidnap: Joyce McKinney
01 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
61 - Retrial: The murder of Jong Ok Shin
16 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
60 - Siege: The death of John Carthy
02 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
59 - A Miscarriage of Justice: Nora Wall
19 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 1996, former nun with the Sisters of Mercy Nora Wall was accused of rape by a girl who had formerly been in her care at a group home in Cappoquin, ...
58 - Murder by Mistake: Melanie McCarthy McNamara
05 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 Melani...
57 - Unsolved: The murder of Grace Livingstone
22 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
56 - Predator: The deaths of Patricia McGauley & Mary Cummins
08 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
55 - Murder by Arson: The McCann Family
24 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 escalate...
54 - The Serial Child Murders of Robert Black
10 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 n...
53 - Exorcism: The death of Christine Taylor
27 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 Taylo...
52 - Betrayal: The murder of Mary Gough
13 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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, sai...
51 - Rampage: The murders of Elizabeth Plunkett & Mary Duffy
29 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1976, there was a crime spree in Ireland. Houses and caravans were burgled, cars were stolen, and then two women went missing. Elizabeth Plunkett d...
50 - Murdered Abroad: The story of Jason Corbett
15 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In August of 2015, a Limerick man, Jason Corbett, was found dead on his bedroom floor of the master bedroom of his lavish family home in North Carolin...
49 - Wrongful Conviction: Tim Evans & the serial murders at 10 Rillington Place
01 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A man is hanged for the murder of his child, and presumed to be the his wife's murderer, too. But three years later, in the same house that the couple...
48 - Milly, Marsha and Amelie: The Bus Stop Murders
18 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In March of 2002, Milly Dowler went missing. She was 13 years old and had been walking home after school that afternoon, down a busy road in a familia...
47 - Family Secrets: The death of Brian McGrath
04 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1987, Brian McGrath disappeared. His wife, Vera, said he'd gone to Holland to find work. That he was abusive and delusional. But 6 years later, the...
46 - Tipperary Love Triangle: Patrick Quirke & the murder of Mr Moonlight (Part Two)
21 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bobby Ryan was a well known and well loved figure in Tipperary. He was a local DJ, known as Mr moonlight, in addition to his work in the local quarry....
46 - Tipperary Love Triangle: Patrick Quirke & the murder of Mr Moonlight (Part One)
21 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bobby Ryan was a well known and well loved figure in Tipperary. He was a local DJ, known as Mr moonlight, in addition to his work in the local quarry....
45 - The Fall: Deaths on Fremont Canyon Bridge
07 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Casper Wyoming is a quiet town. But in 1973, it was marred by an horrific crime. Two girls, sisters - Becky Thompson and Amy Burridge - were snatched ...
44 - Missing & Murdered: Operation Trace
23 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
43 - The Abduction & Murder of Sarah Payne
09 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
42 - Danger at Home: The Killing of Celine Cawley
26 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Celine Cawley was a model, a former bond girl, an advertising producer and a successful business owner. But in December of 2008, she was attacked in h...
41 - Attacked: The murder of Karen Buckley
12 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 Glas...
40 - Chaos, Neglect & Abuse: The Killing of Melissa Mahon
28 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In September of 2006, Melissa Mahon (14) went missing in Sligo Town. She was supposed to in the care of the Health Service, but she had developed a ha...
39 - Terrorism at Lockerbie - The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
14 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1988, a routine flight took off from London Heathrow. It was the second leg of a transatlantic flight that would stop in JFK, before heading even f...
38 - Tortured Teens: The horrific murders of Suzanne Capper & Sylvia Likens
31 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Early on a December morning, in 1992, Suzanne Capper (16) was found wandering on a quiet laneway south of Manchester. She was half naked, and her body...
37 - St Patricks Day: Crimes & Mayhem
17 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's St Patrick's day. Worldwide, buildings are being "greened". Shamrock shakes are being consumed. Guinness is being poured, and we're drowning the ...
36 - Holly and Jessica: The Soham Murders
03 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 app...
35 - The murder of Jill Meagher & the serial sex crimes of Adrian Bayley
17 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On Friday the 22nd September 2012, Jill Meagher left work after a long week and went out for a night on the town in her adopted home of Melbourne, Aus...
34 - The murder of Una Lynsky, Wrongful Convictions & fight for Justice
03 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In October 1971, on a rural lane south of the village of Ratoath, Co Meath, Una Lynsky disappeared while walking a short distance from a bus stop to h...
33 - The murder of Robert Holohan: Broken Trust
20 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 to...
32 - Ron Williamson, Wrongful Convictions & Murders in Ada (Part 2)
06 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The small town of Ada Oklahoma was rocked in the early 80s by two unrelated murders of young women in the town. But by the mid 90s, that would change....
32 - Ron Williamson, Wrongful Convictions & Murders in Ada (Part 1)
06 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The small town of Ada Oklahoma was rocked in the early 80s by two unrelated murders of young women in the town. But by the mid 90s, that would change....
Bonus Guilt Trip - The Hawe Family: Family Annihilation
23 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Holidays! As a special bonus and thank you, this patreon-exclusive episode is now out for everyone to listen to. Thank you for sticking with m...
30 - Sharon Collins: Lying Eyes, Hitman4Hire, & attempted murder
23 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 2006, Sharon Collins decided that what she had wasn’t enough. She was a divorced mother of two, living with a long term partner, PJ Howard, who a...
29 - The murders of Thomas Murray & life sentences
09 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The small town of Ballygar was shocked when 73 year old bachelor farmer William Mannion was found stabbed to death on his kitchen floor. A local youth...
28 - Murder on Ireland's Eye
25 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 1852, Sarah Maria Louisa Kirwan was found dead at the Long Hole on Ireland's Eye as the tide receded. Her husband, William, had been painting a sun...
27 - Archibald Hall: Thief & Serial Killer (Part 2)
11 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode on the life and crimes of Archibald (Roy) Hall, we chart his activities over the final months of 1977 and into 1978. He had gone ...
27 - Archibald Hall: Thief & Serial Killer (Part 1)
11 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of a two part series, we take a look back on the life and crimes of Archibald Thompson Hall, aka Roy Hall, aka Roy Fontaine, the monster ...
26 - Fiona Donnison & Mothers who Murder
28 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On the morning of Wednesday, 27th January 2010, 45 year old mother of four Fiona Donnison walked into a police station in Heathfield, East Sussex. She...
25 - The tragic murder of Catherine Cooper
14 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 1954, Nurse Catherine Cooper (64) lived and worked in Limerick city as a home sister, visiting the ill and infirm at their bedsides. She was origin...
24 - Bruce Lee: Murder by Arson
30 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In December 1989, the Hastie home on Selby Street in Hull caught fire in the early hours of the morning. Three of Hastie boys would die of their injur...
23 - Colin Norris: murderous nurse, or wrongfully convicted?
16 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 2002, Colin Norris was a young man at the beginning of his career in his chosen field of nursing. But the sudden death of an elderly patient, Ethel...
22 - The horrific murder of Sylvia Fleming
02 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The year 1998 was a particularly difficult one for the small town of Omagh, in Northern Ireland. There finally seemed to be a workable plan in place t...
21 - Veronica Guerin: Gangland Murder of the Media (Part 2)
19 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Veronica Guerin took on Ireland's booming gangland criminals in 1994, who were flooding the country with cannabis and other illegal substances and eng...
21 - Veronica Guerin: Gangland Murder of the Media (Part 1)
05 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1990's, Ireland saw a boom in organised crime and the importation of drugs that it had not experienced before. Criminals set themselves up at t...
20 - Mamie Cadden: Abortionist & Murderer
22 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Between the early 1920s and the 1950s, Ireland was a newly established developing country. The state and its society were going through many changes, ...
19 - The Brighton Trunk Murders: Unsolved Crimes
08 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we take another trip back in time and have a look at three vintage murders. First, we crack open the 1832 autobiographical account of John ...
18 - The murder of Declan Flynn & the story of Irish Pride
24 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In honour of Pride month, and with the Dublin Pride Parade only a week away, this episode discusses the tragic case of the beating death of Declan Fly...
17 - The Dunblane Massacre & Gun Crimes
10 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Hamilton was a loner. He decided to dedicate his life to running boys' clubs to keep kids off the street, but its quite likely he had ulterior ...
16 - The Nally Case: Murder or Self Defence?
27 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Living in an isolated area is never easy. Its even more frightening when you're and elderly farmer living on his own, certain that there are people sc...
15 - Harold Shipman: Medical Murders (Part Two)
13 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the second and final episode of the story of Harold Shipman, we find out how the police went about investigating his murders. A suspicious will led...
15 - Harold Shipman: Medical Murders (Part One)
29 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Harold Frederick Shipman was born near Nottingham in 1946. While attending the prestigious grammar school, High Pavement, he took care of his ailing...
14 - The Grangegorman Murders: A spree killing & a false confession
15 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dublin: 1997. Three women occupy number 1 Orchard View, an assisted living facility for former patients of the nearby St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospita...
13 – The medical student & the cruel murder of Hazel Mullen
01 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Shan Mohangi arrived in Dublin in 1962 from South Africa. He was 21 years old and had left his home country due to the limited opportunities afforded ...
12 – The murders of Colin Ireland: The Gay Slayer
18 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As spring changed to summer in London 1993, a man stalked his prey at the Coleherne Pub in Earls Court. He targeted gay men, particularly those intere...
11 – The murder of Tia Sharp
04 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tia Sharp was 12 years old in the summer of 2012, and the Olympics had come to her city, London. She was a carefree and bubbly young girl and was clos...
10 – Catherine Nevin: The Black Widow (Part 2)
18 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the second and final instalment of the Black Widow story, the Gardai ramp up their investigation into her, and she is finally charged with the murd...
10 – Catherine Nevin: The Black Widow (Part 1)
04 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The weekend of St Patrick's Day, 1996, Tom Nevin was found lying dead from a gunshot wound to the chest in the kitchen of his pub, Jack White's in the...
9 – The Scissor Sisters & the murder of Farah Swaleh Noor
07 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Farah Swaleh Noor was an apparent Somalian refugee to Ireland and disappeared on the 20th March 2005. Later that month, and unidentified male body was...
8 – The True Crimes of Brendan O’Donnell: Murder in Muster
10 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Brendan O'Donnell was a troubled and clingy child. After the death of his mother, he displayed violent tendencies. Rather than making his way into the...
7 – Scottish Crime Spree: The Beast of Birkenshaw (Part 3)
24 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of the Beast of Birkenshaw series, Peter Manuel takes over his own defence. He finds many people to place the blame on for his ma...
7 – Scottish Crime Spree: The Beast of Birkenshaw (Part 2)
22 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of our series covering Peter Manuel, the Beast of Birkenshaw, his trial begins. This time, we tell the story of the witnesses, who ...
7 – Scottish Crime Spree: The Beast of Birkenshaw (Part 1)
20 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
"Mary had a little cat She used to call him Daniel, Then she found it killed six mice And now she calls him Manuel" Peter Manuel was born in New Yor...
5 – Rachel O’Reilly: Murder of a Mother
23 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In October of 2004, Rachel O’Reilly was brutally attacked in her North County Dublin home. Initially, the Gardai treated the crime as a burglary gon...
4 – The Acid Bath Murders: The Crimes of John George Haigh
09 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the years immediately following the war in a still bomb-ravaged London, people were going missing. A few letters sent to their families reassured t...
3 – The murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier & trial by press
25 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie Toscan du Plantier was a french writer and documentarian, who owned a secluded holiday home in the picturesque west Cork town of Schull, Irelan...
2 - Crimes against Children: The James Bulger murder
11 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In January of 1993, James Bulger was a month away from his third birthday when he disappeared from his mothers sight in a shopping mall. This was no r...
1 - The Murder of Elaine O'Hara: A Kink Killing
02 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Elaine O’Hara was a troubled woman who disappeared from her Dublin home in 2012 and was presumed to have committed suicide. A year later, due to a s...