Breaking The sick British serial killers you’ve never heard of: Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw planned to rape and kill a new woman each week… with new victims still coming forward today EnglishHeadline

Two of Britain’s worst ever serial killers, who’ve been forgotten by historical past,  might lastly face justice after the Gardai face stress to open a chilly case in opposition to them.

Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw travelled from the UK to Eire to hold out a pre-planned crime spree within the Seventies earlier than being caught and sentenced to life in jail.

They had been dubbed Eire’s first serial killers after fleeing from England with a plan to rape and homicide a brand new girl every week within the Emerald Isle.

After their arrest, they confessed to the homicide of each Mary Duffy from Galway, and Elizabeth Plunkett, who was initially from Ringsend in Dublin.

Nevertheless, the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew expenses associated to Elizabeth’s loss of life and the pair had been solely convicted for Mary’s homicide again in 1978. They had been sentenced to life in jail.  

Now, eight ladies have come ahead to allege they had been probably focused by the serial killers, whiles the household of Plunkett have launched a recent name for a chilly case evaluate.

Shaw, now in his late 70s, is alleged to be a ‘nervous wreck’ behind bars and apprehensive that additional circumstances will cease his possibilities of day launch, in keeping with Irish media. Evans died behind bars in 2012.      

Talking on RTÉ podcast Stolen Sister, Elizabeth’s household have shared their combat for justice and recounted one of the horrifying chapters of their lives.

For the reason that launch of the podcast, eight ladies have come ahead to allege they had been probably focused by serial killers.

Solicitor James McGuill, who represents Elizabeth Plunkett’s household, is gathering the testimonies. 

One witness mentioned she was hit by a automotive on the way in which residence from a pub on the identical night time Plunkett was killed by the pair after leaving the identical pub.   

Extra ladies have come ahead with ‘strikingly related accounts of being pursued by these two guys,’ Mr McGuill instructed the Irish Instances.   

In August 1976, Elizabeth had travelled to Brittas Bay, Wicklow, for a weekend away together with her boyfriend Damian and a bunch of mates.

After having a trivial quarrel together with her boyfriend at McDaniels pub she left alone and accepted a trip from two males in a van, who had been on the hunt for girls.

The 23-year-old was dragged into Castletimon Woods, the place she was raped and strangled to loss of life together with her personal shirt sleeve earlier than the killers weighed her physique down with a garden‑mower and dumped her at sea.

Her distraught household and mates launched a frantic search however 4 weeks later her stays washed ashore on Duncormick Seashore and she or he was recognized by way of dental data. 

Talking on the podcast, Kathleen Nolan and Bernie Plunkett, sisters of Elizabeth who are actually of their 60’s, recounted the second their household had been instructed of their sister’s disappearance. 

Bernie, who was 19 on the time, mentioned: ‘Damien got here down and he instructed us they’d a row, and Elizabeth mentioned she was going residence. He mentioned they looked for her and so they cannot discover her.’

Kathleen, who was 14 on the time, remembered her mom instinctively figuring out that Elizabeth was lifeless.

She mentioned: ‘Instantly she mentioned ”nicely why would she not be capable to make her means residence from Wicklow, she had been throughout, she is aware of her stuff, there’s nothing to cease her from getting from A to B.’ My mam mentioned ”Elizabeth is lifeless, in any other case she could be right here”, she simply knew.’ 

The household instantly reported her lacking to police and Damien went again to Wicklow to see if she had confirmed up on the caravan park they had been staying in. 

Nevertheless by the Monday there was nonetheless no signal of the 23-year-old and the household knew one thing was incorrect. 

One week after her disappearance police led an intensive search round Brittas Bay and Elizabeth’s mates discovered her bra and footwear within the wooded space. 

Elizabeth’s brother Thomas mentioned: ‘I keep in mind trying on the pair of footwear, and that is the worst half for me to speak about… when she was being dragged the filth was on the again of her heels.’ 

The household additionally discovered Elizabeth’s watch and scarf and later police discovered a pair of males’s black boots in a laneway main into the woods and a bit of cardboard with the identify Geoffrey Murphy written on it.

Geoffrey Murphy was the identify Evans was utilizing as his false identify in Eire. Police managed to piece collectively the clues and shortly they had been on the lookout for Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw. 

One month after she was kidnapped, Elizabeth’s physique washed ashore on Duncormick Seashore. As a result of degree of decomposition, the autopsy examination in 1976 didn’t document an official reason for loss of life.

Nevertheless it mentioned it was possible she was lifeless earlier than getting into the water as a result of there was no water in her lungs. 

The salt water had additionally washed any forensic proof that would hyperlink Shaw and Evans to her homicide. 

Whereas the coroner on the time couldn’t say her loss of life was a results of strangulation, he additionally couldn’t rule that out.

As soon as the autopsy examination was over Elizabeth’s physique was launched again to the household. 

Talking on the podcast, her brother Thomas mentioned: ‘It was the primary time I ever noticed my father cry, we did not realize it then however our household would by no means be the identical once more.’   

As suspicions grew across the two Englishmen roaming freely round Eire, Gardaí issued a nationwide alert for his or her seize, however nobody knew these males had been already hatching one other chilling plan, to abduct, rape, and homicide one other girl.

One other younger girl in Fethard, Co Tipperary, reported being chased by two males, who she later recognized as Shaw and Evans, after watching a tv report of their arrest. 

Talking on the podcast, the lady, who needed to stay nameless, recalled: ‘I used to be strolling residence down rural nation roads, roads that I had walked all my life, it was a stunning night round 9pm. 

‘I hadn’t walked too far up the the street when a automotive handed me by after which stopped, as I walked nearer to it two males acquired out and began working at me, I knew instantly I used to be in bother. 

‘I used to be a match 18-year-old girl so I ran for my life, I had no thought who these males had been however I knew I needed to get away. I used to be terrified in that second.

‘I ran again to my buddy’s home and jumped a big backyard wall to get in off the street, I may nonetheless hear their footsteps working behind me. I ran within the entrance door of my buddy’s home and locked it behind me, I acquired an terrible fright on the time. 

‘My buddy’s brother dropped me residence, I instructed my dad and mom what occurred and my father reported it to the native Guardì.’ 

An additional eight ladies got here ahead to allege they had been probably focused by serial two males in 1976, however they managed to get away. 

Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw, from the Better Manchester space, who had been each married with kids of their very own, had fled England from rape expenses and had spent a 12 months in jail in Eire for varied robberies.

They had been on bail from a Dublin court docket and had been attributable to be extradited again to the UK to face a number of expenses, together with the rape of three ladies, one in every of a 16-year-old lady.

Nevertheless, on September 10, the 2 males had been meant to be showing within the Bridewell in Dublin, explaining why they shouldn’t be extradited again to England, however they by no means confirmed.    

That they had stolen a automotive and had been prepared to hunt out their subsequent sufferer, 23-year-old Mary Duffy.

On the night of September 22, Mary completed her shift on the Espresso Store on Ellison Road, County Mayo.

She didn’t have any cash on her, so borrowed some cash from a colleague to name her brother Michael to ask him to gather her however he was fixing a clients automotive at an area storage the place he labored. 

Shaw and Evans had been watching Mary make the telephone name, then depart and begin strolling alone.

As soon as extra, Shaw exited the automotive, and Evans parked it additional up the road, Shaw adopted her silently, after which, when she got here alongside the parked automotive, he dragged her in. Some locals heard screams however could not see something. 

Shaw mentioned in his assertion to police: ‘Someplace alongside the street, I began to drive and Geoff acquired into the again of the automotive together with her. She did not scream however mentioned, “Do not do me any hurt”.’ 

They held Mary captive for over 24 hours within the woods, they gave her valium, tried to feed her a cheese sandwich however she refused and ultimately they strangled her to loss of life.      

Just a few days later the boys had been caught in Galway on September 26, 1976, whereas planning a 3rd abduction. 

A crew of 35 divers, from Garda, Naval and Military models, together with civilian volunteers, spent nearly two weeks looking Lough Inagh for Mary’s physique.

Mary’s physique was ultimately situated in a crevice by volunteer diver and she or he was buried in Elmhall Cemetery in her residence village of Belcarra, Co Mayo, on October 13. 

Throughout police interviews Evan’s confessed to abducting, raping and killing Elizabeth and Mary, he even instructed police the place to seek out Mary’s physique. 

In a police interview about Elizabeth’s loss of life, Shaw mentioned: ‘We handed her out and Geoffrey stopped, I acquired out and he turned the automotive and went again and picked up the lady.’

Evans added: ‘She mentioned ”are you going to Dublin, I mentioned I am not going to Dublin however I can nonetheless offer you a carry, she acquired into the entrance passenger seat.’

Shaw mentioned: ‘He then picked me up, I used to be within the again and the lady was within the entrance seat. She instructed us she had a row together with her boyfriend.

Evans added: ‘We had been speaking about regular issues for some time after which we began messing with the lady. She began to scream within the automotive and we shoved tissue’s in her mouth.’

The lads revealed they then drove to the close by wooded space and dragged Elizabeth out of the automotive.

Nevertheless, throughout the Garda investigation, Shaw and Evans turned on one another-each blaming the opposite for the murders.

They each acquired life sentences and have become often called the State’s first serial killers. Shaw is Eire’s longest-serving prisoner.

Evans died age 68 from sepsis in St Mary’s Hospital within the Phoenix Park on Might 20, 2012, the place he had been in a coma for a number of years following a stroke after coronary heart bypass surgical procedure in December 2008. 

No household claimed his physique and he was buried by the state in an unmarked grave in Eire. 

Nevertheless, for almost half a century, the Plunkett household believed justice had been served, solely to be blindsided in 2023, once they had been instructed Elizabeth was by no means legally recognised as a homicide sufferer.

This stunning revelation emerged throughout parole discussions for Shaw, who stays incarcerated.

Initially each males had been charged with homicide, rape and false imprisonment of Elizabeth and Mary. 

Nevertheless, when Shaw started a parole utility almost two years in the past, it was revealed he had by no means been convicted for Elizabeth’s homicide.

It was additionally revealed to the Plunkett household that the State by no means held an inquest into the loss of life of Elizabeth and so they by no means issued a loss of life certificates in her identify.

Whereas Shaw was by no means convicted of crimes in opposition to Elizabeth, Evans was convicted of her rape and false imprisonment, however not homicide, one thing the household had been unaware of till 2023. 

They realized the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew expenses associated to Elizabeth’s loss of life by getting into a nolle prosequi, which is a proper discover of abandonment.

That means the pair had been solely convicted for Mary Duffy’s homicide again in 1978, receiving necessary life sentences.

Regardless of each males confessing to her abduction and homicide, unbelievably nobody has ever been discovered responsible of Elizabeth’s homicide. 

Talking to the podcast, Elizabeth’s brother Thomas mentioned: ‘We by no means acquired to know did my dad perceive that for some authorized motive Shaw was by no means convicted of Elizabeth’s homicide.

‘I believe my father was instructed that these males would by no means ever see freedom once more.’

Bernie added: ‘My father was fobbed off, it was simple to fob off a person who was completely devastated, distraught and utterly out of his depth.’ 

Kathleen mentioned: ‘I did not perceive the courts at 18-years of age, different then if somebody goes to jail it means they accomplished incorrect and so they went to jail.’ 

Their father died of a coronary heart assault whereas he was driving and a 12 months later their mom additionally died, seven years after Elizabeth’s homicide.     

In January this 12 months, an inquest returned a long-overdue verdict of illegal killing, with coroner Dr. Sean Nixon confirming asphyxia from strangulation as the reason for loss of life.

Solicitor James MacGuill learn a press release on behalf of the Plunkett household in January 2025 outdoors the court docket.

He mentioned: ‘Elizabeth was hunted down and savagely killed by two males who, lower than a month later, went on to homicide one other girl, Mary Duffy.

‘Regardless of these vile criminals confessing to murdering each Elizabeth and Mary, they had been solely ever convicted of Mary’s homicide.

‘With this new improvement, we’re calling on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to reopen the case into Elizabeth’s loss of life and submit a brand new file to the DPP.

‘Though one wrongdoer died, the opposite stays in an Irish jail for murdering Mary Duffy. 

‘However he additionally confessed and was charged with falsely imprisoning, raping and murdering our sister Elizabeth – but the DPP determined in opposition to prosecuting him for these crimes by getting into a nolle prosequi. We now need the DPP to elucidate that call.

‘Our household, and specifically, our dad and mom Tommy and Kathleen, had been destroyed by Elizabeth’s homicide. They by no means recovered from her loss of life. 

‘We relied on the authorities to do their job at the moment – however they failed us – and so they failed our cherished sister.’ 

In accordance with info given to the Plunkett household by the Sufferer Liaison Workplace of the Irish Jail Service, Shaw’s most up-to-date parole utility has been refused.

He might be eligible to use for parole once more in February of subsequent 12 months.

The household of Elizabeth are hoping the Garda Commissioner decides to reopen the case and resubmit expenses in opposition to Shaw.