Mens Rea: A true crime podcast

Three days after arriving in Galway in October of 2007, 17 year old Swiss girl Manuel Riedo was found dead on some marshy ground just outside the city. The investigation into her murder would reveal a series of crimes committed in Galway. If you have been effected by sexual assault or rape, you can contact the Rape Crisis Centre at https://www.rapecrisishelp.ie/  or ring the 24 hr helpline on 1800...

Raoul Moat was released from a short stint in prison in 2010. In the days that followed he shot three people, including a Northumberland police officer and went on the run in the quiet town of Rothbury.   Police scoured the countryside for this man with murderous intent, a search that ended on the bank of the river Croquet in a six hour stand-off.  ********** Join me at CrimeCon UK on June 12-13th...

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 Ma...

In May of 1994, Philomena Gillane was 7 months pregnant. On the morning of Wednesday the 11th, she left her home early to head to work. But she never arrived. She was found dead in the boot of her own car 25 miles away, at Athlone Train station.  Her family would spend the next 3 years in and out of courts dealing with the fallout from her brutal murder, and in a search for justice that was never...

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 a...

On Saturday, September 9th 2017, a group of women were celebrating a 25th birthday in a house in Rhyl, Wales.  Tyler Denton was hosting the party for her new girlfriend Hayley Barnett. It was supposed to be a girls night but Tylers room mate Redvers James Bickley had crashed the party. None of the young women could have predicted that by the end of the night one of them would be dead, and 3 others...

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.  ************ Join me at CrimeCon UK on June 12-13th 2021...

In the early hours New Year's day, 2014 Wayne McQuillan stumbled out of a house in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda Co Louth. He was covered in blood. Paula Farrell, his partner would face trial for his murder three times. But did she have a defence?  ******** Join me at CrimeCon UK on June 12-13th 2020. For more information and tickets visit crimecon.co.uk. Use the code MENSREA for 10% off. Purchase a t...

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. ********* Join me at CrimeCon UK on June 12-13th 2020. For more information and tickets visit crimecon....

In January of 1996, 69 year old bachelor farmer Paddy Daly went missing from his home just outside Killarney in Co. Kerry. His family told the press and the police that they were baffled as to what had become of him. Six days later, Paddy's body was found in a well on the family farm, covered in stones and sand. He had been beaten to death. Two members of his family were charged with his murder. *...

In May of 2003, family members discovered the body of Georgina Eager in the bedroom of her flat. The knife used to kill her was still protruding from her neck. A man was arrested shortly after in London, who admitted to killing the 28 year old receptionist. This would lead to a prosecution for murder in London, the first case of a crime committed in Ireland being tried in the United Kingdom under...

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 answ...

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...

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. ********* Sign up for professional...

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. ******** Thanks to our sponsors for today’s episode: Sign up for p...

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 da...

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. *********** Thanks to our sponsors for today’s episode: Try the casual mobile puzzle game...

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.  ********** Thanks to our sponsors for today’s episode: Help take control of your debt with payoff.com/MensRea...

In 1940, 24 year old Michael Devereux disappeared from his home in Co Wexford. A year later, his body would be discovered buried in an isolated part of Co Tipperary. A number of men who were known members of the IRA found themselves accused of the murder - allegedly motivated by the belief that Devereux had been a spy among their ranks.  A four month legal battle ensued, which saw the use of the E...

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 resu...

In 1925, while the Irish Free State was still in it's 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 t...

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.  ********** Thanks to our sponsors for today’s episode: Sign up today with ExpressVPN for secure browsing and...

Penny and Duncan McAllister married young. But by all accounts, their marriage flourished while Duncan pursued his career as an officer in the British Army. In 1990, they moved to Armagh. Through their involvement in the diving community they met a young soldier with the UDR, Susan Christie.  Nine months later, both women would be injured while out walking in a secluded forest, and Penny was horri...

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...

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...