Story of Ireland's first serial killers comes to light in RTE's Stolen Sister podcast
Through RTÉ’s latest podcast series, Stolen Sister, presented by Roz Purcell, Elizabeth Plunkett's siblings – Bernie and Kathleen – are speaking out 50 years on from her death
The tale of the victim of Ireland's first serial killers is being told in a new RTE podcast - Stolen Sister.
On 28th August 1976, 23-year-old Elizabeth Plunkett met friends for a night away in Brittas Bay, County Wicklow. When Elizabeth waved goodbye to her mother that afternoon, nobody knew that it would be the last time her family would see her. Later that night, she was abducted and brutally raped and murdered by Ireland’s first serial killers - John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans - who had recently been released from prison.
A month after Elizabeth was attacked her body washed up on a beach in Co Wexford. Following a nationwide manhunt, her attackers were both arrested but not before they killed a second Irish woman, 23-year-old Mary Duffy. The two murderers Shaw and Evans received life sentences in prison. However, in 2022 the Plunkett family learned that Elizabeth never got justice. No one was ever convicted of the murder of Elizabeth Plunkett despite both men confessing to her murder.
Now Elizabeth’s family are breaking the silence that they’ve held for almost 50 years. Through RTÉ’s latest podcast series, Stolen Sister, presented by Roz Purcell, Elizabeth’s siblings – Bernie and Kathleen – are speaking out. This is the first time that any of Elizabeth’s family have spoken about her death publicly. They’re determined to get justice for her and restore some dignity to Elizabeth’s memory.
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The first episode of RTÉ Podcast Stolen Sister is available now on the RTÉ Radio Player and wherever you listen to your podcasts. Episodes will drop every Friday and will broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1 at 6.30pm on Friday evenings.
Anyone with information on Elizabeth’s story should contact: [email protected]
The soundtrack to Stolen Sister was composed by Academy Award winning composer Stephen Warbeck and was recorded by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.