Which news story has always stuck with you?

[Flowergirl14]

I

Elaine O’Hara and Graham Dwyer case.

I remember first seeing her missing person case on the journal and genuinely thought it was a suicide as the family had said on social media that she did suffer from mental problems and had been institutionalised for many years of her life.

https://www.thejournal.ie/appeal-issued-for-missing-woman-elaine-ohara-572455-Aug2012/#comments

Then a year later her remains were found in a pond or a Lake in the woods and several weeks later it was turned into a murder investigation.

casefile has a great podcast on it if you would like to listen to it

Case 87: Elaine O’Hara - Casefile: True Crime Podcast

When Irish childcare worker Elaine O’Hara went missing in 2012, her family and friends feared she may have taken her own life...

casefilepodcast.com

Or if you’d like to read a brief summary here it is

Timeline of a murder

www.irishtimes.com

I bought the book about it, and it was really shocking

 

[childofthe70s]

Soham and Dunblane. The French Alps Shootings - so many questions, but no answers.

 

[petitspois]

Grace Millane’s murder in New Zealand. Just knew from the moment it was reported that she was missing that it wouldn’t end well She had her whole life in front of her and she had only recently embarked on the trip of a lifetime.

Her Dad has recently passed away, heartbreaking. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/murdered-backpacker-grace-millanes-heartbroken-23034649

Oh god, that poor family. How much pain?

 

[Marymoo13]

Watching the bbc programme was absolutely heartbroken for her. What she must have had to deal with in the short time she was alive with them. And how they spoke about her so vile.
Poor Margaret

Absolutely. It’s awful that even things so simple as helping her brush through her hair was so much of an inconvenience for them so they made her have it shaved very short.
Driving past the house/plot of land always gives me chills.

 

[Emmadale]

That is so worry-some. Minor things like that, that can set someone off, really does make you wonder what happens at home. I wouldn’t think twice if my son stood on my shoe, accidents happen, children trip over their own feet. I could never be so threatening for something so small. It really does terrify me thinking about how scared some children out there are.

Same. Horrible isn’t it. It definitely wouldn’t have hurt how she did it either. I glanced down to see if they were brand new expensive trainers and they weren’t ....not that that justifies it in anyway but I wondered why he was so aggressive and threatening...sadly it’s probably just normal behaviour.

 

[Savannah_xx]

Madeleine McCann

 

[Jess1991]

I always remember the shootings in Cumbria, it flashed up as breaking news and just thought how awful those people going about their day and something like that happening. Also the Suffolk murders, as I’m from/live in Ipswich and as a teenage girl when it happened it was incredibly scary.

 

[OutrageouslyScarlet]

Wow I just read that original article. She was so far out of his league I can't believe they were together in the first place, absolutely gorgeous woman. Men like that most usually have enabler parents in my experience, they've never ever been called out on their bullshit or had to face real consequences.

Yeah it was awful, her poor family. His parents had utterly spoilt him and when I knew him he had quite the recreational drug problem.

 

[Blond3g1rl]

Is it the one with Trevor McDonald? That’s a good one!

No it’s a Britain’s Most evil killers one

 

[Solemnia]

It's one I'd love to know the answer too. Yes, he was Irish originally. My SIL is from Co Kerry, Abbeyfeale is on the Limerick/Kerry border. She said Moriarty is a common name in Kerry.

Ya it is. I am from Kerry myself. There are plenty of Moriartys where I am. Maybe there’s some relations still there. Hopefully there will be some answers to it.

 

[Justwishfulthinking]

Not necessarily in terms of social services.

She used to go to the probation office I worked at, but only for a short time.

wow I find that quite interesting about social services. I’m assuming she was given a new identity but it was obvious who she is.

I always wonder with probation office...are the offenders discussed or just the impact on rehabilitation and say funding work/employment?

 

[MilkAndTwoSugars]

Was this Louise Woodward or a different story? I've no idea why but I always remember the nannys name in this story

Just read later down the thread and some others have confirmed it was the Louise Woodward case. I always thought she looked so innocent too

 

[Bingewatcher92]

Some other stories not mentioned here:

The murder of Becky Watts - I had a newborn baby when this was unfolding and I was horrified.

Jo Yeates going missing so close to christmas on a slow news week then being found. The treatment of her whacky landlord by the press was appalling. The ITV drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies is a brilliant watch.

Also a few more local to me in Dorset so hit close to home:

Gaia Pope disappeared in Swanage in 2017 and I remember the search for her well. They found her body and ruled she had died of exposure. She was so troubled and sad and the police messed up the search so it made me very sad.

Gaia Pope death: 'No answers' for teenager's family

Gaia Pope's family say she deserves justice and all factors around her death a year ago examined.

www.bbc.co.uk

Heather Barnett's murder and found by her kids haunted me as her killer was uncaught for so long. He was linked to a crime in italy and that's how he was caught. I used to clean houses on that street too so was quite distressing .

Man with fetish for cutting women's hair 'murdered and mutilated mother-of-two'

Danilo Restivo is alleged to have entered the Bournemouth flat of Heather Barnett and bludgeoned her with a heavy instrument before cutting her throat down to the spinal column.

www.dailymail.co.uk

And also the parents who covered up when their son murdered his girlfriend: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...spiring-model-girlfriend-17-jealous-rage.html

Lots of bleak stories from me there

I’m Dorset too! These stories will stick with me forever too. I knew a few people related to the last two cases you mention. So horrible.

 

[Prgirl_cesca]

that's awful. This was featured on one of those BBC series wasn't it? something like 'ambulance' or 'hospital' where they follow the emergency services.

Yes! That was such a moving episode

 

[Peanut99]

There's been a story last couple of days that has caught my eye

A woman has killed her husband - she has claimed he was abusive in the past
when she was arrested she was more concerned about getting her coat and slippers (probably in a state of shock)
But interested to see what happened with this one

 

[thegirlscout]

Gaia Pope disappeared in Swanage in 2017 and I remember the search for her well. They found her body and ruled she had died of exposure. She was so troubled and sad and the police messed up the search so it made me very sad.

I’m a bit confused by Gaia’s death - she was suffering from epilepsy and mental health problems due to her attacker being released from prison (?) and she was found naked but does anyone know what caused her to take her clothes off, was she having a breakdown?

British grandparents strive to bring their grandchildren from China to UK after son’s death - Global Times

www.globaltimes.cn

This, I am still wondering how's the grandson is doing

They were meant to meet over the summer but I bet Covid has prevented this and pushed the case back further. Lots of cases I read about China and how they treat people, very weird society and culture.

 

[Lovegin]

Just realised there’s a programme on about Rachel Nickell, sadly it’s another I remember

 

[Emmadale]

I was going to comment on the same thing. The details are horrific. Rape and murder is bad enough, but hearing the details crushed me.

Ive heard bits about it but haven’t bought myself to read it in detail…just so sad. Just such a big betrayal of trust and so many of us can put ourselves in her position. Her mother’s statement broke me

 

[Solemnia]

Paddy Moriarty - disappeared four years ago today.

I have read about this before as he was originally Irish, from Abbeyfeale in Limerick. Such a strange case.

 

[PillowsofFluff]

Yes, it's something I looked up a few years ago as it was on my mind for some reason and I think if I can recall correctly the man who was found guilty was a known sex offender, he was given a 30 year sentence so would be free now if he got parole and I could be wrong but I'm sure I can remember my Mum saying that the little girl had been left on her own in the caravan but I could be wrong.

Yeah the one article I managed to find had very little info, but did say she was left on her own in the caravan park while her mum went drinking.