John Shaw fears losing temporary release due to a reopened Elizabeth Plunkett murder case from 1976. He is already serving life for murder.
Plunkett’s family says no one was convicted of her murder. They claim Shaw and Evans were only tried for Mary Duffy’s murder. Elizabeth Plunkett was from Dublin. She was raped and strangled. Her body was tied to a lawnmower. They dumped her body in the sea. The body washed ashore weeks later.
An inquest ruled her death an unlawful killing. Her family wants the police to reopen the case. Shaw is now 77 years old. A source says he fears the parole board will take notice. He gets a few days of temporary release each year. This release could be taken away.
Shaw is serving a life sentence for Mary Duffy’s murder. He’s reportedly become more withdrawn. He’s on edge. Shaw gets about four days of release annually. These few hours give him a small taste of freedom.
He likely knows he will never be fully free and looks forward to each release. He has no family or friends in Ireland. Two officers supervise him. They walk around the city and have coffee.
The Plunkett case is in the news. Shaw is now very nervous. He stopped talking to other inmates. He worries the case will be reopened. The board might stop his release. He stopped making tea for the other prisoners too.
Shaw usually keeps a low profile. He avoids attention, but the inquest changed that. He hates the attention now. He might be questioned again if the case reopens. He would not like that.
The inquest jury ruled Plunkett’s death unlawful killing. The family thanked the jury afterward. They said it gave Elizabeth dignity. The family learned Shaw was never convicted of her murder in 2023. The family’s solicitor made a statement.
They want the police to prosecute Shaw. He killed Elizabeth. He and Evans killed Mary Duffy soon after. They confessed to both murders. They were only convicted of Mary’s murder.
The family wants the police to reopen Elizabeth’s case. One killer died, but Shaw is in prison. He confessed to Elizabeth’s murder. The prosecution never went forward. The family wants an explanation.
A detective said Shaw admitted to abducting, raping, and murdering Elizabeth. Evans also confessed before he died in 2012. Shaw and Evans were Ireland’s first serial killers. Shaw has been in prison since 1976. Because of his crimes, he will likely die in jail.