Family of Olivia Dunlea fear as her murderer is up for parole; they fight to keep him in prison.
Olivia was a mother to three children: Aaron, Megan, and Darragh. She loved working as a playschool teacher. Her family remembers her fondly, and the murder occurred on February 17, 2013.
Since then, her family has missed her deeply. Thirteen Christmases passed without her. She missed her children growing up and never became a grandmother. Megan, her daughter, is now a mother, and her baby’s name is Thomas.
This month marked twelve years without Olivia. The family faces another difficult event: her murderer is now eligible for parole. He applied to be released from prison, and his pre-hearing is on March 7. The family can attend this hearing.
Olivia’s mother, Ann Dunlea, will fight his release. She wants him to remain in prison. To her, a life sentence should mean life, and she feels very strongly about this. Nothing brings Olivia back to them.
Darren Murphy put the family through a lot. It took three trials to convict him, and he lost two appeals. The final appeal failed in 2020. He admitted to setting the fire but claimed he did not want the kids to find her.
He tried to use provocation as his defense. He claimed Olivia saw another man, which he said enraged him. Megan was ten when her mom died and seventeen when his appeal failed.
Olivia’s mother asks why he should be free. She stated that he ruined their lives, and her family feels safer with him in prison. Ann, Jimmy, Amanda, and Anne will attend the hearing. Ann will tell the board how she feels.
Ann will also share a statement from Olivia’s children. She started defending Olivia during the trial and says she will keep fighting for her. Ann believes he should stay locked up because he is a murderer who told lies.
The thought of his release devastates her. He put himself in prison, she says; it wasn’t Olivia’s fault. Her family hopes he stays in prison, as the loss still feels very recent to them.
Her birthday and anniversary bring reminders. Ann remembers all the missing moments, and there are small reminders everywhere. Part of them will always be missing because her family was always very close.
Olivia’s children talk about her often, and they know about the upcoming parole. Aaron is now 24 years old and owns a pet shop. Megan became a playschool teacher, and Darragh is 21 and an apprentice.
Ann is proud of her grandchildren. They have good friends and are easy-going. She says they have their mother’s nature; Olivia loved her children very much. They were everything to her.
One day, they must tell Thomas about his grandmother, which will not be easy to do. Speaking about her is important. Ann says she will talk about Olivia, and she will do it for as long as people listen.
Ann will continue to fight for justice. Seeing similar cases on the news is hard. She says people should be careful, as losing Olivia is a pain that won’t go away.