The family of Elizabeth Plunkett, who was raped and murdered in 1976 by British criminals John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans, have pledged to continue their campaign against Shaw’s release from prison.
This is despite claimed new evidence failing to prompt a fresh Garda investigation into the killing of the Dublin woman.
Although the family has written to Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, the case has not been reopened. There are also no plans for a Garda ‘cold case review’.
Garda Headquarters has, in reply to recent media queries, urged anyone with information on the case to come forward. However, sources played down the significance of that. They said it was a standard reference in reply to media queries about any unsolved crime, rather than a specific development in the case.
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James MacGuill, a solicitor representing the Plunkett family, said people had come forward offering information after RTÉ broadcast a podcast series, Stolen Sister, prompted by Ms Plunkett’s sisters Kathleen Nolan and Bernie Plunkett.
“The next logical step would be to, at least, appoint a specific [Garda] officer to co-ordinate all this,” Mr MacGuill said.
In reply to queries, Garda Headquarters said a Garda investigation had been conducted, in the 1970s, into the death of Ms Plunkett.
This “ultimately led” to Shaw being charged with her “murder, rape and false imprisonment” – though the murder charge was later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Garda added that anyone with new information on the case should come forward.
The Department of Justice said Mr O’Callaghan “cannot intervene” in the workings of the Garda or DPP’s office as they were “independent”.
[ Witnesses supply new information on 1976 killers of Elizabeth PlunkettOpens in new window ]
In August 1976, Ms Plunkett (23) was abducted and killed near Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow. A month later, Mayo woman Mary Duffy was kidnapped and murdered. Both had been violently sexually attacked. Evans and Shaw were arrested in Galway in September 1976.
Evans was convicted of Ms Duffy’s murder but acquitted of Ms Plunkett’s killing. He died in jail in 2012.
Shaw was also convicted of Ms Duffy’s murder but the DPP later dropped the charge of murdering Ms Plunkett, without explanation.
Ms Plunkett’s sisters found out only recently that neither man had ever been convicted of her murder and were jailed for life for Ms Duffy’s killing only.
The Parole Board is currently reviewing an application for release from Shaw, who in now 79 and has been in jail for 49 years.
Though they were initially included in that process as “relevant victims”, Ms Plunkett’s family were excluded when it was realised the only sentence Shaw is now serving is for the murder of Ms Duffy.
Ms Plunkett’s family believe Shaw still poses a danger to the public and should not be freed.
Multiple women have come forward in recent years to say they believe they were also targeted by Shaw and Evans during the men’s 1976 crime spree.
