The Indo Daily: 'This was a huge shock, there had been no conviction' - Why Elizabeth Plunkett's sisters and niece are fighting for justice 49 years on

"At the age of 23, Elizabeth 'Liz' Plunkett was raped and murdered by John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans at Brittas Bay 49 years ago. Her story has been back in the news this year after it was uncovered that her killer John Shaw had never actually been convicted for her murder. Originally, both men were charged with the murder, rape and false imprisonment of Elizabeth Plunkett and Mary Duffy."

"Books and newspaper features poring over the murder, exploring every gory detail, have been published over the years. None have had the family's blessing. Crude caricatures of Elizabeth and Mary were published in a national newspaper alongside those of their killers. An Irish influencer and makeup artist told the story of Liz's death while doing a makeup tutorial; the thumbnail image of the video featured a crass photo of Liz flanked by her two killers and splattered in blood."

"The family persisted with their pledge not to discuss Liz or what happened to her outside of the family until 2023 and the revelation that John Shaw had not been convicted of Elizabeth's murder, led to that vow of silence being irrevocably broken. The years of silence to anyone other than the family were meant to protect Liz from the exploitation that comes with being a high-profile murder victim. It was time to give Liz a voice."

Elizabeth 'Liz' Plunkett, 23, was raped and murdered at Brittas Bay by John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans nearly five decades ago. Both men were originally charged with murder, rape and false imprisonment, but a 2023 parole application revealed John Shaw had never been convicted for Elizabeth's murder. The family maintained a private silence to protect Liz from exploitation while media, books and an influencer repeatedly exposed gory details without the family's blessing. The revelation in 2023 ended the family's vow of silence. Sisters Kathleen Nolan and Bernadette Plunkett and niece Emma Nolan have since campaigned for justice, including via the RTÉ podcast Stolen Sister.

Read at Irish Independent