Latest news with #JohnShaw
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Stolen Sister episode 2, recapped
Ireland is reportedly set to have a particularly hot summer this year, so expect packed Ryanair flights, bursting beaches and men in shorts the second it tips towards 20C. Well, in 1976, something similar happened. It was a record-breaking summer, people booked foreign holidays, consumed sunny pints with friends and hit the beach, but as summer was drawing to a close, something profoundly evil infected the Irish shores, and it came in the form of Ireland's first serial killers - John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans. While evading the authorities in the UK, the pair decided to come to Ireland under false identities, and after a stint in prison for various burglaries across the country, they made a pact to abduct, rape and murder a woman a week until they were caught. The pair murdered two women - Elizabeth Plunkett and Mary Duffy, before receiving life sentences for their crimes, and that was supposed to be the end of it. But, a parole hearing for Shaw that began two years ago would unravel the case of Elizabeth's murder and force her family to question everything about this case to date. The team at RTÉ Documentary On One have joined forces with the Plunkett family and host Roz Purcell to create Stolen Sister, a six-part podcast dedicated to finally getting Elizabeth the justice she deserves. To learn more about the second instalment of this series, keep reading or hit play on your nearest streaming device. Witness Gardaí were able to accurately calculate Elizabeth's final movements in Brittas Bay Co Wicklow thanks to witnesses' testimonies gathered following her disappearance - many of which are recited by actors throughout this podcast. The series reminds the listener that a simple decision like not turning your car around or not getting involved in a stranger's odd exchange can irrevocably alter the course of multiple lives. We learn that a witness, Mary Anne Greene, saw Elizabeth on the street right before she was abducted wearing her white slacks, navy blue Saint Tropez sweater and sandals. Greene later drove past Castletimon woods, where the two men had brought Elizabeth. She could see a vehicle parked on the right-hand side to the opening to the woods. It was lit up inside - this happened at roughly 12.45am, meaning Elizabeth was still alive. Another witness, David James McDonald, witnessed Evans slow down, pull over and speak to Elizabeth; he later told investigators that he knew something felt off. McDonald turned to his friend in the passenger seat and asked if they should turn back. The friend said no, so they drove on. Despite what her killers would later claim, Elizbeth's best friend Mella still maintains that she never would have willingly gotten into a car with a strange man. "I know Liz, she would never have got into a car without knowing who they were. I know she wouldn't because she was my friend. And we used to talk about things like that. We were always terrified of anything like that." I pulled in near the supermarket and said to my friend should I go back and see if everything is alright and my friend advised me to go home as we might be sticking our noses into something that didn't concern us - David James McDonald, witness. Elizabeth is missing A few minutes after Elizabeth left McDaniel's pub in Brittas Bay, her boyfriend Damien went looking for her. He had his sister, Mella check the bathroom, and when Elizabeth was nowhere to be found, he frantically began to search. The couple's friend Joe McCoy and his girlfriend Annette McLoughlin drove around Wicklow trying to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth. But it was too late because Shaw and Evans had already abducted Elizabeth and brought her to a nearby woodland to rape her and ultimately end her young life. Kathleen Nolan née Plunkett remembers the morning after her sister went missing, the doorbell rang while the family prepared Sunday lunch. Now, reader, this is private family information that has never before been made public - until now. A young woman Kathleen did not recognise was at the door asking for Elizabeth, Kathleen told her that she was away for the weekend. Elizabeth's mother knew something was off, but by the time she raced after the woman, she had disappeared. To hear what happened next, you really must stream. They both came down to the house, and started to tell my mam and Damien came in. He told her that they had a row and that Elizabeth said she was going home and we've searched for her and we cannot find her - Bernie Plunkett, sister. The search Damien checked the home of Elizabeth's older sister Joan and her husband Jimmy, but she wasn't there either. It was then he knew he had to tell the Plunkett family. Once the family learned of Elizabeth's disappearance, the search effort went into overdrive. But there is nothing like a mother's intuition, according to Kathleen and Bernie; their mother knew instantly that Elizabeth was dead. The Plunkett family's local garda station in Irishtown said they could not help until Elizabeth had been missing for 24 hours as she was over 21. But they were not going to wait that long and returned to Wicklow to search till dark. After 36 hours, Elizabeth's brothers Eddie and Thomas came from Cork to join the search. During that first week of searches, the country became gripped by the case. The civil defence, the guards, friends, neighbours, colleagues, everyone joined the search for Elizabeth. The podcast's proximity to the family allows the listener to fully come to grips with the terror and desperation they felt during the investigation as they recount the most traumatic moments of their lives. God, I just, held it in my arms and I just said, oh, please, let her be alive or let her, you know, please let us find her - Mella Bushe, friend Castletimon Woods A week after Elizabeth went missing, the gardaí launched a large-scale methodical search that took place on rough land near Castletimon woods. Down a laneway leading from the roadway into the forest Joe McCoy would make a discovery… A discovery that would suggest his friend Elizabeth had faced an unimaginable fate and was quite possibly no longer alive. I've left the tragic details out of this piece, so you'll have to stream the episode to find out more. It's desperation you feel. And you're confused. And you're like, no, who could, where could she have gone? You can't just disappear off the face of the earth. Somebody has to know…" - Bernie Plunkett, sister Close encounters While the Plunketts spent every waking hour looking for Elizabeth, her killers were still close by… Garda Nicky Crennan speaks to the series creators about a call he received a few hours after Elizabeth went missing. The owner of McDaniel's pub at that time also owned the nearby caravan park. He reported that two men were acting strangely in the park, and Garda Crennan responded to that call. He had no idea the men he was about to encounter had just murdered a young woman and were in the process of disposing of the evidence. The men were standing by a fire when the authorities arrived and told Garda Crennan they were drying their clothes. They gave the names John and Geoffrey Murphy from Fethard when questioned, which Garda Crennan instinctively wrote down. But, something did not add up for the officers, as despite looking completely different, the men said they were brothers. The second this bit of information was queried, the men suddenly decided they were "step-brothers". Evans and Shaw burned Elizabeth's white slacks and t-shirt in that field. News of Elizabeth's disappearance had not broken, so Garda Crennan told the men to stop trespassing and leave. But not even this encounter spooked the killers. Instead, they stayed in that caravan park until the next day robbing a few caravans before they left. They were doing bugger all, only trespassing and I suppose we told them they were on private property, you shouldn't be here - Garda Nicky Crennan If anyone has any information on John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans, the Plunkett family have asked that you contact the podcast makers through documentaries@
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Proposed £600,000 repair package for Renfrew Victory Baths
The funding will be considered by members of Renfrewshire Council's finance board on Thursday. The historic and much-loved Renfrew Victory Baths could be preserved for future generations as councillors consider a £600,000 refurbishment package. The funding will be considered by members of Renfrewshire Council's finance board on Thursday and, if approved, would cover the cost of structural repairs to secure the long-term future of the 104-year-old building. The proposals follow recent structural assessments and include a range of repairs such as works beneath the pool, concrete and masonry repairs, roof and drainage upgrades, and general improvements to maintain the character of the facility. With costs estimated at £600,000, the building's status as a Renfrew Common Good asset means funding will be shared between Renfrewshire Council and the Common Good Fund. The Common Good contribution will be capped at £500,000, with any additional costs met by the council to protect the fund. A report, prepared ahead of the board meeting, highlights that, as a building now over a century old, Victory Baths is naturally beginning to show signs of age. It states repairs to the superstructure are becoming increasingly difficult to manage and less sustainable. Any future refurbishment is likely to require significant investment, including the possible replacement of major structural elements such as sections of the concrete framework. Despite the scale of the proposed works, there are no plans to close the pool during the improvement programme. Councillor John Shaw, chair of the finance board and local councillor for Renfrew North and Braehead, will present the paper to councillors on Thursday. He said: 'The Victory Baths are a cherished part of Renfrew's heritage and continue to play an important role in the life of our community. 'These proposed works are not just about tackling current maintenance needs, they're about taking steps to secure the future of the building for the next generation. 'With the building now over 100 years old, we need to act decisively to ensure it remains safe, functional and fit for purpose. 'm pleased to bring this paper forward and hope to see it approved so the work can get underway.' Victory Baths is an Edwardian, 25-yard pool designed by Paisley architect Thomas Graham Abercrombie and dates from 1921. The baths are a Category B listed building and retain the original layout of cubicles around the pool, arched doorways, memorabilia and viewing gallery. Historical structural interventions, in-house structural and consultant inspections have been ongoing since 2011. Cllr Lisa-Marie Hughes, fellow councillor for Renfrew North and Braehead and chair of OneRen, added: 'The Victory Baths are more than just a pool, they are part of the fabric of Renfrew and hold a special place in the hearts of so many local people. I welcome the proposed investment as an important milestone in preserving and protecting it. 'I'm particularly pleased to hear that the pool will remain open throughout the works, so users can continue to enjoy it without disruption.' If approved, work is expected to begin over the summer period.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Harvard urges US judge to unblock $2.5 billion in federal research funds, says national security, public health research in peril
Harvard University on Monday asked a federal judge to immediately rule the Trump administration 's $2.5 billion research funding freeze unlawful, arguing the decision was politically motivated, legally baseless, and threatens vital national and scientific interests. In a detailed court filing to the U.S. District Court in Boston, the university sought summary judgment—asking the court to decide without a full trial—on its lawsuit filed in April. Harvard accuses the administration of violating its constitutional right to free speech and breaching federal law. 'The government's rush to freeze and terminate billions of dollars in current and future federal funding to Harvard for critical research lacks the basic requisites of reasoned decisionmaking,' the university's lawyers said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tại sao ngày càng nhiều người cao tuổi chọn cấy ghép răng giá phải chăng? Cấy ghép răng | Quảng cáo tìm kiếm Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Over 950 projects affected across fields Since 14 April, Harvard said it has received 957 orders instructing it to halt federal funding across its research departments. These projects include medical, defence and fundamental science initiatives. Among the terminated grants were: Live Events $88 million for paediatric HIV/AIDS research $12 million to help the Defence Department track emerging biological threats $10 million to tackle antibiotic-resistant infections $8 million for astrophysics research into dark energy $7 million for breast cancer prevention in at-risk women John Shaw, Harvard's vice provost for research, warned the freeze would destroy ongoing studies and severely disrupt operations. In a sworn court statement, he wrote: 'Sensitive equipment would sit idle and degrade. Perishable samples would spoil. Live specimens would be euthanised … Many labs rely on continuous processes, so interruptions would render years of work useless.' He added, 'Harvard cannot cover the funding gap itself' despite its endowment, underlining the scale of dependence on these federal funds. National security concerns ignored One of the affected grants—worth $12 million—was part of a Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) programme designed to improve U.S. readiness against biological threats. 'Harvard is currently the top performing team on the … programme,' a DARPA official wrote, as cited in Harvard's court documents. 'Inadequate knowledge of the biological threat landscape poses grave and immediate harm to national security.' Despite these warnings, the Defence Department terminated the contract in mid-May. Harvard's filing states that 'nothing in the Government's administrative record indicates that the Secretary of Defence yielded to the contracting official's plea.' Retaliation for political resistance, Harvard claims The university alleges that the funding block was orchestrated from the White House after it refused to comply with a set of undisclosed demands. The filing also includes internal Trump administration documents, which, according to Harvard, show the terminations were directed centrally and executed through multiple federal agencies using identical language. 'In its haste to cancel Harvard's funding, the White House demanded that agencies terminate funding, leaving them with no time or freedom to explain their decisions, consider important aspects of the problem and alternatives, or account for the pivotal reliance interests tossed aside by Harvard's blacklisting,' the filing stated. Harvard further argues that no proper investigation was conducted into claims of antisemitism before the funding was withdrawn. The court papers say: 'The Government rushed to terminate Harvard's funding not because it concluded after careful assessment that federal financial support for certain programmes … suborned antisemitism, but because the White House demanded across-the-board terminations … solely to inflict maximum punishment.' President Donald Trump has publicly criticised elite institutions like Harvard, accusing them of being 'woke' and fostering antisemitism. His administration launched multiple investigations into the university—ranging from alleged sex and gender discrimination, to foreign ties, and its treatment of Jewish students after pro-Palestinian campus protests. Harvard claims these actions amount to a coordinated attack on academic independence and free inquiry. 'The government fails to acknowledge, let alone engage with, the dozens of steps Harvard has taken and committed to take to address antisemitism and bias,' the university's lawyers wrote. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs has set 21 July as the date for oral arguments. Harvard is asking her to rule swiftly, without trial, and reverse the freeze. If successful, the decision would restore the frozen funds and potentially set a precedent for how far the federal government can go in policing the politics of higher education. 'This is not just about Harvard,' a university spokesperson previously stated. 'It's about protecting the freedom of all academic institutions to pursue knowledge without political interference.'
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Harvard Argues Cutting Off Its Government Funding Is Wasteful
Destroyed research programs. Shuttered labs. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers fleeing elsewhere. In a court filing on Monday, Harvard University painted a bleak picture for its research enterprise if the funding taken away by the Trump administration is not restored. 'The harm would be severe and long lasting,' John H. Shaw, the university's vice provost for research, wrote in the 17-page declaration that is part of Harvard's lawsuit against the Trump administration. 'Money cannot repair the lost time, talent, and opportunity.' Republicans have often argued that universities have not been good stewards of taxpayer money. In past statements, the Trump administration officials have said the university has forfeited the opportunity to receive taxpayer funds. Dr. Shaw, however, wrote that it was defunding ongoing research efforts that was wasteful. He cited the loss of continuity, including lost seasons of data collection in environmental research and missed check-ins for longitudinal health studies. 'These losses would set back entire fields, slow discovery, and waste public investment,' Dr. Shaw wrote. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Sunday World
30-05-2025
- Sunday World
Sisters of Elizabeth Plunkett speak for first time in 50 years
A brand new podcast series about her murder Stolen Sister was released today Elizabeth Plunkett, murdered by Englishmen, Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw on August 29, 1976. Picture supplied by family The sisters of murdered Elizabeth Plunkett have spoken publicly about her death for the first time in 50 years. The 23-year-old was murdered in August 1976, by Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw. A brand new RTÉ podcast Stolen Sister delves into the abduction, rape and murder of the young woman in Co Wicklow. Speaking on the first episode of the programme, her sister Bernadette Barry recounted the last time they saw her. She explained that on the sunny Saturday she vanished, Elizabeth was getting ready to go to visit friends in Brittas Bay. Elizabeth Plunkett, murdered by Englishmen, Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw on August 29, 1976. Picture supplied by family News in 90 Seconds - May 30th 'My mam and my Aunt Lily were sitting in the kitchen having a cup of tea. 'I was just relaxing on the bed. I was throwing these few things together. 'So there was a wedding on up at the church. My mom and my aunt Lily rambled up to the church. So they were standing outside the church, obviously waiting for the bride to come out,' she explained. "[Elizabeth's lift] had eventually come along, pulled up beside the cottage, I heard her going out the door and she said, 'I'm off. I'll see you'. 'And I said, 'Bye, I'll see you then when you get back.' Elizabeth then drove by her mother and aunt as they began their journey out of Ringsend. 'My mom and Auntie Lily waved her off, 'have a good time', and little did my mom know that she was waving her off forever.' Bernie and her sister Kathleen said they contacted RTE Doc On One for help to get justice for their sister after they learned that while her killers had been jailed, they were not tried for her murder. Bernie said they were told 'no' by the DPP, the state's solicitor officer and the Garda Commissioner when they appealed for the murder investigation to be reopened. The two British men, Shaw and Evans, came to Ireland in the 1970 with the intention of murdering one woman per week, but were detained after they killed their second victim, Mary Duffy. Elizabeth's family were unaware of this fact until 2023, when they contacted the Parole Board when killer John Shaw was seeking temporary day release. No inquest had been held, and no death certificate was issued. In January 2025, a jury at Gorey District Court returned a verdict of unlawful killing, with her cause of death recorded as asphyxia due to strangulation.
