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Roz's plea for new leads to bring justice to victim of serial killers
Presenter Roz Purcell said she hopes potential new leads generated by her podcast on one of the country's most notorious murders will finally bring about justice for the family of Elizabeth Plunkett.
It comes as Elizabeth's family have written to the DPP, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan requesting a cold-case review into her death and a renewed public appeal for evidence.
Englishmen John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans confessed to abducting, raping and murdering Elizabeth in Brittas Bay, Co. Wicklow, and also Mary Duffy in Connemara, Co. Galway, in 1976.
Both men were initially charged with murder, rape and false imprisonment of Ms Plunkett and Ms Duffy. But when Shaw began a parole application nearly two years ago, it emerged he had never been convicted for Ms Plunkett's murder, despite previous reports. Roz Purcell said she hopes potential new leads generated by her podcast on one of the country's most notorious murders will finally bring about justice for the family of Elizabeth Plunkett. Pic: Instagram/ Roz Purcell
It was also revealed to the Plunkett family that the State never held an inquest into the death of Ms Plunkett, and never issued a death certificate in her name.
The Plunkett family are collaborating with the team at RTÉ's Documentary On One on Stolen Sister, a six-part podcast series, to raise awareness of Ms Plunkett's case, which led to an inquest being held into her death earlier this year. And Ms Purcell said the podcast team are hopeful the documentary will help the family's 'search for justice'.
The model and presenter told 'We're retelling Elizabeth's life with her family. We want to do it in the right way, with the end goal of getting her family justice, and getting Elizabeth justice that she hasn't had in almost 50 years.'
Geoffrey Evans died in 2012, and John Shaw remains in Arbour Hill Prison. Last week Shaw was denied parole. Members of Ms Plunkett's family were initially invited to provide impact statements to the court, but their statements were withdrawn when they were informed – for the first time – that while Shaw had been convicted of Elizabeth's rape and false imprisonment, he was never convicted of her actual murder. Englishmen John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans confessed to abducting, raping and murdering Elizabeth
'They are not recognised as relevant victims,' Ms Purcell said. The former Miss Universe Ireland said the podcast has resulted in an influx of reports from other potential victims and witnesses in the case.
'People are reaching out and getting in touch with new information. We've also had a good few people come forward with information on other attempted abductions,' she said. 'I'm doing this and Elizabeth's sisters are doing this because hopefully there's a conclusion, that we get them something, There's a mission for us, to have this case relooked at.'
Documentary producer Nicoline Greer added: 'As a result of the podcast, we're getting people contacting us and saying that they were in Brittas Bay at the time. We're even getting people coming to us and saying that Shaw and Evans attempted to abduct them. Roz Purcell on Tommy Tiernan Show Pic: RTÉ
'They were young women at the time, so we've had quite a few contacts from people who we are in the process of verifying.
'It's unbelievable how predatory these guys seem to have been – way more so than we realised when we started this.'
Because Shaw was not prosecuted for Elizabeth's murder, the case can be reopened if new evidence comes to light.
'The podcast is giving Elizabeth's story publicity and people are remembering things that happened back then that they haven't mentioned before,' Ms Greer said.
When Evans and Shaw were arrested, the killers admitted their goal was to abduct, rape and murder one woman a week.
'They were always looking for women to abduct. They knew they were going to be caught… they just didn't care. They were doing what they wanted,' said Ms Greer.
The producer said another woman in the Brittas area who was 18 at the time of Elizabeth Plunkett's murder approached them about her personal experience with the killers.
'She was walking home one evening… a car came along… she managed to run across fields to get away from them and got to her friend's house and closed the door. She was absolutely petrified. They were trying to get her into the car,' Ms Greer said. Elizabeth Plunkett. Pic: File
She said another woman from Galway, also of student age at the time, 'managed to run as well, but they actually chased her'.
An inquest was finally held into Elizabeth Plunkett's death in January, when the coroner officially gave the cause of death as 'unlawful killing'.
The family were also issued a death certificate for the first time. Former State pathologist John Harbison initially found that Ms Plunkett hadn't died by drowning.
'She was dead before she went into the sea,' Ms Greer said, adding the inquest 'was the first official acknowledgement from the State that Elizabeth died, let alone at the hand of another'.
The producer praised the Plunkett family for their bravery in helping to make the podcast. 'It is hard for the Plunketts to hear all this again, but they're being really brave and doing it for Elizabeth. They believe that Elizabeth would do it for them.'
Presenter Ms Purcell also revealed she has a personal connection to the case: after the murders, Shaw and Evans hid out in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, close to where she grew up, and stayed there for 10 days. Roz Purcell. Pic: Discover Ireland
'The first thing I thought was, oh my God, my aunties would have been around her age. They would have been living in that area at that time. My Mum had just moved there.
'She became a teacher at the school and she was around the same age as Elizabeth. It makes you think… It's so horrific to think those things happened so close to a place where I call home.'
■ Stolen Sister is available on the RTÉ Radio Player or wherever you get your podcasts. It is continuing on RTÉ Radio 1 at 6.30pm for the next three Fridays.
