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RTÉ News
6 days ago
- RTÉ News
Plunkett family appeal for public to contact gardaí over 1976 murder
The sister of Dublin woman Elizabeth Plunkett said that a garda request for new information into her death was the "first positive reaction" they have had since her murder 49 years ago. Kathleen Nolan said she and her sister Bernie Plunkett feel validated that they contacted the team at RTÉ Documentary On One to collaborate on the Stolen Sister podcast and are happy with this next step. John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans confessed to abducting, raping and murdering both Elizabeth Plunkett in Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, and Mary Duffy in Conamara, Co Galway, in 1976. Originally, both men were charged with murder, rape and false imprisonment of Elizabeth Plunkett and Mary Duffy. However, when Shaw began a parole application in 2023, it was revealed he had never been convicted for Elizabeth Plunkett's murder despite previous reports. It was also revealed to the Plunkett family that the State never held an inquest into the death of Ms Plunkett, nor ever issued a death certificate in her name. The collaboration between the family and the Stolen Sister podcast led to an inquest being held into Elizabeth Plunkett's death earlier this year. In a statement, gardaí said: "Any person who believes they have new information into the death of Elizabeth Plunkett should make that information known/ available to An Garda Síochána in Wexford/ Wicklow Garda Division." It added that any new information which is brought to the attention of An Garda Síochána will be assessed. In late May, the Plunkett family's solicitor, James MacGuill SC, wrote to the DPP, the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice requesting a cold case review into Elizabeth Plunkett's death and a renewed public appeal for evidence. An Garda Síochána has not commenced any new investigation or cold case review into the murder of Ms Plunkett. Ms Nolan explained that it was an area they knew nothing about at the beginning, and that they had had to pick through everything a thousand times to understand why the case was left the way it was. Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne she said they were grateful to their legal team, and that the research conducted by Documentary On One has been "fabulous". "We have been putting together a timeline of everything that happened, and now we just need to know why these decisions were made. "With people able to use the guards in Wicklow and Wexford, the Doc On One and the legal team, that's three places that if anyone wants to get in contact. It opens it up another little bit. "Hopefully, the more leads we get, the better." She said that the process has been chilling and shocking, and that she and her sister had never considered that there would be anyone else affected by this. Bonus episode detailing case progress Today, they are launching a petition on the website called: "Justice for Elizabeth Plunkett", and they encouraged people to sign it. Ms Nolan said it is another way of presenting the case to the parole board, the Government, An Garda Síochána, the DPP and the Minister for Justice. "We want to let everyone see what happened, and they can be part of the change and really help us." Speaking about taking part in the podcast, she said that she and her sister felt a responsibility to Elizabeth and everyone out there, and it was a hard thing to do, but the support since has been amazing. "After we relived what we had gone through that we had buried, it just became completely unacceptable. "Irish life has changed so much over time. What might have been acceptable in the 1970s is definitely not acceptable now, and that's why we decided to approach the Doc On One team". She said that she was grateful to their relations, colleagues, friends, and neighbours in Ringsend, Dublin. She added that their children and grandchildren were nervous for them, but very proud of them at the same time.
RTÉ News
11-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Stolen Sister episode 6, recapped
Be warned, if you're reading this article, I will assume you have listened to the first five episodes of Stolen Sister, the new podcast from RTÉ Documentary On One made in collaboration with the family of Elizabeth Plunkett. Elizabeth was abducted, raped and murdered by John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans - Ireland's first serial killers - in 1976. Both men were originally charged with the murder, rape and false imprisonment of Ms Plunkett and Mayo woman Mary Duffy. But a parole application from Shaw in 2023 revealed that he was never convicted for Ms Plunkett's murder despite previous reports. Now, her family wants justice, and this very live investigation hopes to help them achieve their aim. So, if you have any information on John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans, the Plunkett family has asked that you contact the podcast makers through documentaries@ This week's episode explains the recent events which brought the Plunkett family, namely sisters Kathleen Nolan and Bernie Plunkett, to the team at Doc On One. It also brings listeners up to speed on where Elizabeth's murderers are today. Evans had a massive stroke in 2009 and was left in a coma for three years. When he eventually died in 2012, nobody claimed his body. The Irish Prison Service buried him in an unmarked grave. As for Shaw, in 38 years of being incarcerated, he has only received one family visit. In 2016, he made an application to get temporary release from prison. This was rejected by the then Minister for Justice. However, in 2020, he was granted his request. This means that for two days each year, he is allowed temporary escorted release from prison, but now he wants more. To find out exactly what that means, you have to keep reading or hit play above on episode six of Stolen Sister. A gentle reminder that this podcast contains some pretty distressing information, so read on (and listen) with care. Parole You see, temporary release privileges were not enough for Shaw, now he wants to be released for good. For over 40 years, the Irish prison service has kept the Plunkett family abreast of Shaw and Evans' movements. In 2023, Shaw started an application for parole, so the Parole Board reached out to the Plunkett family for a submission. Because they were the family of a victim, the parole board said they could take part in the process and have their say. They could offer views on whether the prisoner should or should not be released, and possible conditions they would like to see attached to a parole. The family were granted free legal aid, and their solicitor Aimée McCumiskey of James MacGuill and company helped them register as victims and fill out the relevant paperwork. The family were definite - they did not want Shaw released. This was the first time anybody had asked Elizabeth's family to describe how they really felt - what they went through and the long-term impact of their sister's horrific murder. Bernie and Kathleen wrote their submissions in the knowledge that Shaw was permitted to read what they submitted. Then their solicitor received some alarming news that would rewrite everything the Plunkett family knew about their sister's case… Because Shaw was never convicted of Elizabeth's murder, a fact not even the Parole Board was aware of until they made the family complete their parole submission. To find out how this happened, you need to hit play, but unfortunately, this was not the only shock the family were about to get. I kind of put my heart and soul into it because I thought it would really help. And I pulled myself inside out, very personal things in now which I deeply regret - Kathleen Nolan Relevant victims According to the Parole Board, their discovery meant that despite Shaw having confessed to Elizabeth's murder, the Plunkett family were no longer "relevant victims." They were to be excluded from the parole process and their submissions discounted. Bernie described the discovery like a "slap in the face". Because they were not going to be part of the parole process, the firm of MacGuill and Company was no longer being paid by the State to represent the family. But the solicitors were so horrified by how the family had been treated that they agreed to keep working with them free of charge until they got answers. It was this search for information that led them to the team at RTÉ Documentary On One. While the Doc team was trying to establish Elizabeth's cause of death, our producers made another startling discovery… the State never issued a death certificate for Elizabeth. Why was no death certificate issued, you ask? Because unusual deaths require inquests, another thing Elizabeth was not afforded. The procedures that normally happen did not happen for Elizabeth, all the things that a citizen is entitled to, they were not afforded to Elizabeth - Kathleen Nolan Correspondence One of the above revelations would be earth-shattering to a family, so needless to say, the Plunkett family has a lot of questions for the powers that be. Did Shaw get to read their original submission to the parole board? Why was there no conviction, no inquest and no death certificate issued for Elizabeth? And how could so much of this information have stayed hidden for so long? Through some digging, it emerged that the DPP had entered a nolle prosequi for Shaw on all charges related to Elizabeth - translation, he was not acquitted but was also not charged with her murder. It is a stay on a prosecution meaning that the case can be reopened. Why did they do this? Nobody knows. Bernie and Kathleen tried to contact a number of Government agencies to raise awareness about their situation and get some answers. But every agency turned them away. In November 2024, the Documentary at One team contacted the same State agencies, including the DPP, the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice. In essence, the DPP said that legally speaking, they are under no obligation to explain what happened to the family and had no intention to take further action against Shaw unless An Garda Síochána presented them with new information. That is why it is imperative that if you have any information or witness testimony about this case, you need to come forward. This could be Kathleen and Bernie's only hope for justice for Elizabeth. It got to the stage that the lie was told so many times. That everybody believes it's true. You know they're in jail for Liz. They're not. Not one day has been served for Elizabeth - Kathleen Nolan The inquest Needless to say, an inquest desperately needed to be held. But when Wexford coroner, Dr Sean Nixon, went to An Garda Síochána, they told him they did not have the relevant files… However, Dr Nixon had heard everything that had happened with Elizabeth's case and was determined to gather the evidence and make an inquest happen. Thankfully, Doc On One was able to provide him with the relevant documents he needed to proceed. Just before Christmas in 2024 Dr Nixon reached out to the Plunkett family's Solicitor James McGuill; an inquest was finally going to be held in January 2025. This week, the podcast will take listeners inside the Gorey courthouse alongside the Plunkett family as they try to secure Elizabeth the dignity and respect she deserves. To learn the coroner's ruling you need to hit play above, but I will say this, it made national headlines back in January. It's like being brought back to 1976 when we picked up Elizabeth's remains in Wexford from the hospital. So this is how we find ourselves today. Going to an inquest 49 years later - Bernie Plunkett
RTÉ News
07-07-2025
- RTÉ News
What Stolen Sister series tells us about traumatic family loss
Analysis: As shown in Stolen Sister and the case of Elizabeth Plunkett, the loss of a sibling has a tremendous impact on family members It happens with age. You find yourself amongst a group of peers talking about your first encounter with death. For many, it is a family pet or grandparent. In very tragic cases, it's a schoolmate. For a lucky few, these encounters do not come till well into their teenage years or beyond. For me, I was almost two years old and it was my baby brother. The conversation would usually dissolve pretty quickly after that revelation. It is understandable if people assume that the death of an infant sibling at such a young age wouldn't have much effect. However, it fundamentally shaped the person I became. As a child, I would constantly think about family members dying. If my parents went out at night, I would stay awake until the car lights lit up my room, indicating they were home safely. When someone was unwell, I would crawl into their room to check they were breathing. In adolescence, I was averse to risk-taking because there was always a voice in my head telling me that my parents couldn't lose another child. Trailer for the Stolen Sister podcast series about the murder of Elizabeth Plunkett in 1976 The bond between siblings is unique and, in many cases, not even death can break this connection. Right now, sisters Kathleen Nolan and Bernie Plunkett are leading a public appeal to reopen the murder investigation into the death of their sister Elizabeth, who was killed in 1976. It was initially believed that Elizabeth's killers, John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans, were convicted of her murder nearly 50 years ago, but a parole application from Shaw in 2023 revealed that this was not the case. When the relevant State bodies wouldn't engage with the family, Kathleen and Bernie contacted RTÉ Documentary On One team to create the now streaming podcast series Stolen Sister to get justice for Elizabeth. The long term effects of sibling loss and the lack of discussion around it has rattled around my brain for some time, often with the guilt that accompanies telling someone I have two siblings, when in fact I have three. Dr Heidi Horsley, Executive Director at Open to Hope Foundation and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, says that sibling loss can be minimised because people focus on parents, as research suggests that the worst loss that can happen to a person is the death of a child. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, documentary maker Nicoline Greer on the making of Stolen Sister The flip side of this, she explains, is that siblings tend to be told to be strong for their parents and offer them their support, almost like a form of role reversal. "Sometimes siblings, we don't even feel like we have the right to our loss, because we feel like the focus should be on taking care of our parents," she says. Because sibling loss takes up emotional energy in a family, and there can be a lot of talk, tears and emotion about the sibling that died, she adds it can make surviving siblings feel inadequate. When a child dies, parents can also become anxious that another will also die, and so micromanage their remaining children. The grief experienced by small children can manifest in different ways, Dr Horsley explains: "stomach aches, headaches, fatigue, nightmares, night terrors". Children can regress into habits like bedwetting, being afraid to sleep without a light on or a fear of monsters under their bed. This is because, Horsley says, children no longer view the world as a safe place after their sibling has died. Young children sometimes play with their dead siblings as if they're still alive, like an imaginary friend, despite knowing they're deceased, adds Dr Kristin Hadfield, Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, report on the verdict of 'unlawful killing' from an inquest in Gorey in January 2025 into the death of Elizabeth Plunkett whose family have been waiting 49 years for this inquest to take place Horsley says sibling loss has a tremendous impact regardless of age because, according to research it's the longest living relationship most people will have. "Our parents will only, in contrast spend 40% to 60% of their lives with us, because they usually die before us. So they will spend 40% to 60% versus 80% to 100%," that we spend with siblings. One of the hardest things for young children is the change in the family system, according to Dr Joanne Cacciatore, Professor at Arizona State University. If the eldest child dies and the second sibling finds themselves, at least at home, in the role of the oldest, it can be challenging to their identity. Depending on the circumstances, families can go through the mourning process and move forward, says Dr Christopher Christian, Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, but others struggle more. Celebrations can remind people of their lost sibling, it can feel inappropriate to be marking an occasion, or that the surviving sibling does not deserve to be celebrated, he explains. "There's a kind of depriving oneself of any gratification in light of the loss, and if there was a lot of competitiveness with the sibling that also compounds, I think the mourning." First episode of RTÉ's Stolen Sister documentary Experts suggest that the way a sibling dies impacts the way their surviving sibling processes it. Hadfield says if a child dies unexpectedly or in a way where their sibling does not get to say goodbye, it is associated with a grief that is more prolonged or not as adaptive. However, if a child is involved in the family decision-making process, for example, funeral arrangements or hospital visits, this is linked to more positive outcomes for the child. Overall, Hadfield says, it is vital that parents do not feel as if they have to handle this loss alone. "If the parent is suffering and continues to kind of suffer from mental health problems, then this is going to impact their relationship with their other children as well." She describes the situation as "bi-directional" because the parents can no longer parent in the same way, and surviving children are more likely to be difficult to parent because they are also grieving. The loss of a sibling can also leave people with a deep fear of loss, adds Cacciatore. When surviving siblings find themselves in a relationship with someone they love deeply, they don't want to lose that connection, but this can create "over-reactive states" she explains. Some will become more securely attached to their loved ones fearing that they'll die, but others will become anxious avoidant or avoidant and won't want to connect or feel attached because they understand the risk. Another issue for adult surviving siblings can be whether to have children themselves. Christian says they wonder whether their children will die too, which might explain why some people are hesitant to enter relationships. When a person loses a sibling through a violent and disfiguring death, it can further complicate the healing process, adds Cacciatore. Heidi Horsley's brother died at 17 in a car accident with his cousin. Both men burned to death, she says she had to deal with that trauma before she could manage her grief. "Because what happens in a traumatic loss is you're stuck in the narrative of how they died, and it's in your head playing over and over and over, and you need a safe person to be able to discuss what happened." You know the preciousness of every moment in a different way than others do The loss of a sibling becomes embedded in a family's history, Cacciatore says, even when the loss occurs before the surviving child is born. That being said, she adds that "lineage of grief or pain" as long as people stay conscious, can make them better as human beings, as it brings sensitivity and compassion towards the pain of others. She thinks the loss of her own infant daughter made all her children more compassionate, including her son, who was born three years later. While it can be difficult to find any positives in the above information, Cacciatore's research measuring post-traumatic growth found that "appreciation of life" becomes an outcome, even if it takes time for people to reach that point. "It doesn't happen for a while, but at some point when you're ready, you do value life differently. You know the preciousness of every moment in a different way than others do."
RTÉ News
03-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Irish women 'still not safe', say Plunkett sisters
The sisters of Dublin woman Elizabeth Plunkett believe that Irish women are "still not safe" almost 50 years after the murder that shocked Ireland. Kathleen Nolan and Bernie Plunkett claim nothing has been learned since their sister's murder in 1976 by Ireland's first serial killers - John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans. The Plunkett family are currently collaborating with RTÉ's seven-part podcast series Stolen Sister to raise awareness around Elizabeth Plunkett's case. Calling for stricter rules on bail conditions, Ms Plunkett said: "We're going on to 50 years, next year, 76 to 2026. How many women have been murdered in the meantime?" She added: "This is still happening all these years later. So, if anything, we want to draw attention to the fact women are not safe." Shaw and Evans were on £40 bail at the time of Elizabeth Plunkett's and later Mayo woman Mary Duffy's murder. Ms Plunkett said: "If they had held on to them at that time, our Elizabeth would be still alive and so would Mary Duffy. "But no, they obviously didn't take that seriously enough that two lives had to be lost." Both men were from the north of England and were arrested in Ireland before the murders for burglary and had a year-long stay in Irish prisons in Limerick and Mountjoy. When they murdered Elizabeth Plunkett and Mary Duffy, they were awaiting an extradition hearing back to the UK to face rape and sexual assault charges. Ms Nolan said too much time elapses between missing persons and murder investigations. She believes an elite team should be sent in promptly after a person goes missing "because they're losing too much information". The women mention the cases of Annie McCarrick and Tina Satchwell as examples of cases where there have been serious questions surrounding investigations. 'Like getting slapped in the face' Originally Shaw and Evans were charged with the murder, rape and false imprisonment of Elizabeth Plunkett and Mary Duffy. However, when Shaw applied for parole in 2023, it was revealed he had never been convicted for Elizabeth Plunkett's murder despite previous reports. The family also discovered that the State did not hold an inquest into the death of Elizabeth Plunkett, nor ever issued a death certificate in her name. As Shaw was never convicted of any charges relating to Elizabeth Plunkett, her family said they are no longer considered victims of a crime under the 2019 Parole Act and are not entitled to take part in the parole process. Evans died in 2012. According to Ms Plunkett, the shock she felt following the revelation from the Parole Board was "like getting slapped in the face". The collaboration between the family and the Stolen Sister podcast led to an inquest being held into Elizabeth Plunkett's death earlier this year. Ms Plunkett said the family hope new information gathered during the podcast, which to date includes 11 new witness statements, will also lead to a retrial. These statements include accounts from women who said they were approached by men they identified as Shaw and Evans. In late May, the family's solicitor James MacGuill SC wrote to the DPP, the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice requesting a cold case review into her death and a renewed public appeal for evidence. Aside from an acknowledgement of receipt from the Minister, no further contact has been made. RTÉ's Documentary On One wrote to the Minister for Justice on 7 March looking for any records relating to Elizabeth Plunkett. They responded 16 weeks later and are still looking for the records. In a statement, the minister extended his "deepest condolences" to the family of Elizabeth Plunkett for her tragic death. The statement read: "While the minister is very much conscious of the case of Ms Plunkett, he is mindful that a number of matters referred to are under the remit of bodies who are independent in the performance of their functions." "The Department has undertaken a preliminary search of records to identify what is held on file related to this matter. "Work is ongoing to retrieve and review records on file. When this is complete, the Department will be able to consider the request related to the release of these records." Ms Plunkett said nearly 50 years ago, the authorities did not have the same access to information gathering, but that excuse is no longer valid in today's world. "Their investigations were kind of notebook and pen, you know, whereas it's not like that today. And still, the cases are happening." Her sisters described Elizabeth Plunkett as a social, fun-loving and independent young woman with big ambitions for her future. "We used to say she's full of notions. Because she wasn't going to just be in Ringsend, and a housewife. She wanted to be big time and style and fashion and go somewhere..." said Ms Plunkett. While taking part in the Stolen Sister podcast has been difficult for the sisters, Ms Plunkett said they are "prepared to take the punches to get the justice we want". If anyone has any information on John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans, the Plunkett family have asked that you contact the podcast makers through documentaries@
Irish Examiner
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Podcast Corner: New series looks back on the tragic tale of Elizabeth Plunkett
It's summer 1976, one of the hottest in memory, and Irish people are heading to the beach every weekend. Among them: 23-year-old Dubliner Elizabeth Plunkett, her boyfriend Damian, and a group of friends bound for Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, on the last weekend of August. Elizabeth could be a bit bossy - she read Cosmo and had notions, according to one of her sisters. At a nearby pub, she and Damian have a minor argument, a lovers' tiff. He recalled: 'I put my finger on her left cheek and said, 'Go away, don't be annoying me.' She said, 'If you do that again, I'll go home.' I said to her, 'Go home, then.' Stolen Sister narrator Roz Purcell says: 'No one could have imagined that what happened next would set in train a series of events that would see Elizabeth's life being savagely taken from her.' Later that night, she was abducted, raped, and murdered by Ireland's serial killers John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans, who had recently been released from prison. With extradition back to the UK looming over them, they had a savage plan: They were going to do exactly what they wanted to do while they were on the run in Ireland - kidnap, rape, and kill one woman a week for as long as they could get away with it. Stolen Sister is the latest podcast series from RTÉ Documentary on One (Where is Jón?, The Real Carrie Jade, Runaway Joe). Written and produced by Nicoline Greer, episodes clock in at under 30 minutes and the six-part series wraps on Friday, July 4. The series began with an email sent to the producers out of the blue by Elizabeth's sisters Bernie and Kathleen a couple years ago; it's the first time the family are speaking out about their sister's murder. Elizabeth Plunkett. Now in their sixties, they finish each other's sentences, painting a picture of working class family life in Ringsend, where apple pies were baked at the weekend. But when news of their sister's disappearance from Brittas Bay made it to their front door, it was like their mother just knew, they said. It upended everything. The series, with original music by Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (performed with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra) and sound design by Ciarán Dunne, is vivid, sucking the listener into a sad tale, with Garda statements by friends and the killers recounted by actors. The murder grips the nation and sees Shaw and Evans abscond to Tipperary and then Galway, in a car they've stolen, changed the number plates on, and repainted with regular paint. Stolen Sister tracks the manhunt for the pair — how it slowly tightens, but only after they strike again. Read More Culture That Made Me: Limerick broadcaster Lorcan Murray selects his touchstones
