Uncovering the dark truth of a missing woman’s life | Forensic Files

in March 1990 twin sisters Jeanette and Annette Millbrook disappeared the 15 year olds were walking home from a
convenience store in Augusta Georgia when they vanished their story didn't even make the local news and uh they
were quickly labeled as runaways the case was improperly closed and it was even removed from the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children the disappearance went uninvestigated for 23 years until a new sheriff took office in
2013 still there was no movement in the twins case and their family grew increasingly frustrated files were lost
witnesses went unquestioned leads were unexplored and errors remained on the record in the past year the fault line
podcast a series exploring the cases of marginalized missing persons in Georgia has been working with the twin sister
and mother to shed new light on the case after their season covering the twin story listen has raised the Nate
thousand dollar reward however local law enforcement declined to advertise or announced the reward so the podcasting
community stepped in to fund a missing persons billboard in the twins hometown for the first time the local community
was made aware of the missing twins and to the reward in that case to learn more
about the Millbrook twins and other cold cases the four line is covered you can find them on any podcasting app a new
season will be dropping this summer and more funds are needed to keep the Millbrook twins billboard on display if
you'd like to contribute to the billboard fund there's a link in the show notes [Music]
our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at anytime you need support please contact
your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support please see the show notes for this
episode on your app or on our website in the early evening of August 22 2012 the village of step aside on Dublin
Southside and fallen silent and still Sheila Hawkins peered out her window to a block of apartments across the road
her eyes settled on one in particular which belonged to her stepdaughter 36 year-old Elaine O Hara Sheila couldn't
see the inside clearly but she could tell the lights were off and there were no signs of activity she thought it was
strange Elaine had left the family gathering hours earlier at 4:00 p.m. telling others she was going home to
rest yet it looked as though she wasn't home at all Sheila assumed Elaine had gone to bed early to get a good night's
sleep ahead of the Tall Ships festival the next day she messaged Elaine at 10:30 4:00 p.m. Bryden see you at 7:15
Elaine didn't respond earlier that day Sheila had offered Elaine a lift to the Tall Ships festival the festival ushers
in historic sea vessels the Dublin's port on Ireland's East Coast for a three-day event of sailing live music
and festivities Elaine had signed up to work as a volunteer having completed training in preparation she was
thoroughly looking forward to it Elaine accepted Sheila's offer grateful for the
lift on the road between their apartments was a bus stop where they plan to mate the morning of the festival
from there Sheila would drive 20 minutes north into the city drop Elaine off at the port and continue onwards to work
as 7:15 approached the following morning of August 23 Sheila look outside slow semi frequent traffic rolled past she
scared at the bus stop that Alain hadn't arrived yet not a big deal Sheila thought she was probably still getting
ready when 7:15 came and went Elaine's absence from the bus stop became a concern calling her mobile
phone resulted in no answer Sheila left a message and waited yet Alain never got
back to her needing to get to work Sheila hopped in her car and made the short drive across the road Elaine's
apartment was nestled within a shopping plaza on the northwestern suburban edge of step aside the plaza has the
convenience store pharmacy dry cleaners gym and a restaurant Sheila drove past the shops and headed
to the surrounding apartment books ringing the doorbell to Elaine's apartment was met with no response
Sheila checked the time she was now at risk of running late for work and couldn't afford to wait around any
longer she decided to head off without Elaine over an hour later Elaine had yet to make contact Sheila had no idea for
stepdaughter had made it to the Tall Ships festival her niggling concern didn't subside so Sheila notified her
partner Elaine's father Frank O Hara Frank held little concern he suspected Elaine must have slept through her
morning alarm and woke up in a panic not wanting to be late she jumped straight into her car and rushed off the Dublin
she was probably too busy preparing for the festival to get in touch as the morning progressed there was still no
news from Elaine so Frank O Hara decided to visit his daughter's apartment using
a spare key he unlocked the front door and to let himself in Alaine wasn't home and nothing inside
appeared out of place but a dash of unease crossed his mind when he found her mobile phone elaine always had her
phone on her and had never left home without it maybe on this occasion in the flurry and excitement for the festival
she accidentally left it behind Frank left the apartment assuming Elaine would get in touch when
she got back home later that night Sheila stood vigil eyes transfixed on Elaine's apartment she waited for a
lanes car to pull up a lot to flicker on her shadow to move past the window night fell into the apartment remained
in darkness no one came or when nothing stirred within at 11:30 p.m. Frank texted his daughter masking his
anxiety with a joke he wrote are you alive a line didn't respond [Music] [Music]
there was an extra reason for franca Hara to celebrate st. Patrick's Day March 17 1976 his wife Eileen gave birth
to their first child a girl they named Elaine Elaine became the oldest of the four O'Hara children including in Frank
jr. and John from Elaine's childhood onwards she developed a close bond with her father that carried on into her
adult life Frank spoke to Elaine every day and saw her three or four times per week he was to her a pillar of
unwavering support when Elaine failed to contact her father the entirety of August 23 2012 Frank knew something
wasn't right seeking answers he revisited Elaine's apartment the following morning
everything inside the apartment was as it had been when Frank dropped in the day before it didn't appear Elaine had
come home throughout the night however something caught Frank's eye that he missed the first visit Elaine came back
he knew it was unlikely Elaine left home for getting both her mobile phone and her handbag checking the apartments
underground parking garage Frank saw her turquoise-colored a Fiat motor vehicle was missing Frank made inquiries with
the Tall Ships festival only to discover Elaine never turned up [Music] there was only one other place Frank
thought Elaine may have gone instead of the festival he contacted a lane psychiatrist Matt Murphy recently Elaine
had been discharged from st. Edmund's buri hospital after a six-week stay overwhelming financial pressures
contributed to Elaine feeling overworked than highly stressed having recently purchased her step aside-- apartment she
struggled to keep up with payments and who needed to have flood damage repaired described as having an incredible work
ethic elaine worked two jobs to keep on top of things Elaine loved working with children and
wanted to have her own one day according to her father she could relate to kids better than adults therefore her work as
a childcare worker at st. John's National School in Bali brac gave her a sense of joy and accomplishment in
addition to childcare Elaine worked as a shop assistant in a news agency in Blackrock news agency owner Ken
Robertson found Elaine to be a very honest person who was well liked by customers he trusted her permitting her
a set of keys to his shop when Elaine asked to work as many hours that could be made available to her Ken knew she
was having financial problems on top of working two jobs Elaine also attended night school her goal was to
follow in her mother Eileen's footsteps to become a primary school teacher at the time she was enrolled in a course to
become a qualified Montessori teacher a unique form of child education that deviates from traditional learning and
focuses on developing natural interests working two jobs studying as well as keeping on top of her pre-existing
illnesses Elaine struggled to cope in July 2012 she was contemplating suicide realizing she needed help
Elaine had admitted herself to hospital for treatment Franco Hara was surprised when Elaine checked herself in he
thought she had been doing well lately it was her 14th stay in st. Edmund's burg Elaine had been in and out of
hospital since the age of 16 the catalyst for her first visit in her mid-teens was the death of a close
friend in a road accident Elaine was also bullied causing her to withdraw and isolate herself masking the extent of
her problems from her family Elaine shouldered the burden alone and at age 16 she attempted to take her own
life her family was shattered having failed to notice the silence elaine was admitted to st. Edmund's free
hospital where she was treated by esteemed psychiatrist dr. Anthony Claire initially dr. Claire was unsure what the
diagnose are laying with she had an inherent vulnerability a childlike innocence and a submissive personality
her emotions were acute and strong compared to others she would react more and take longer to return to a calm
State Elaine found it difficult to interact with people and believed she was constantly being judged by others to
some she befriended Elaine was considered needy high drama and emotionally volatile and eventually her
behavior would cause the friendship to end she detailed that from age 12 onwards she had intrusive thoughts
described as a play in her head in which she was restrained imprisoned and punished dr. Claire
concluded these thoughts were an obsession for Elaine and had manifested in what he noted as disturbing into
masculine sexual fantasies during his initial diagnosis dr. Claire considered Elaine was experiencing a gradually
emerging psychosis but later ruled it out upon further consideration he diagnosed her with borderline
personality disorder and depression he treated her with medication and tranquilizers Frank and Eileen O'Hara
visited their daughter often and took her out on Saturdays they recalled Elaine was so heavily medicated she
would often fall asleep at the cafe that were dining in she lost much of her late
teens and young adult life from being medicated and constantly in and out of hospital as such it had an impact on her
socially she didn't experience these formative years like others it was noted that Elaine's emotional maturity was
that of a 15 year old and she was very trusting of anyone who showed her kindness
although dr. Clare noted Elaine lived a lonely life she maintained a closeness with both her parents both Frank and
Eileen supported her throughout her hospitalization and treatment looking optimistically towards her future
however things took a turn for the worse in March 2002 Eileen O'Hara passed away
at 52 years of age unable to cope with the sudden loss of her mother Elaine retreated further into isolation smoking
upwards of 40 cigarettes per day Frank O'Hara was devastated but found understanding with his new relationship
with Sheila Hawkins yet Elaine continued to struggle her mother's death reignited dormant
suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviors as a result Elaine was hospitalized upon her release in 2003
Elaine appeared back on track she started night school and was working she moved out of the family home to an
apartment of her own in 2005 her family threw her a party for her 29th birthday however Elaine became upset during the
festivities and the left abruptly later her sister Ann went to check on her and found Elaine had overdosed
she returned to hospital and after a two-month stay she was released another attempt occurred the following year in
2006 another massive setback occurred in 2007 dr. Anthony Clair human being treating Elaine for 16 years died
Matt Murphy took over as a Lane psychiatrist dr. Murphy wanted to treat a lane with less medication instead
using cognitive behavioral therapy it aimed to change unhealthy habits of thinking feeling and behaving through
practical self-help strategies over time Elaine's medication was reduced and she
took well to therapy dr. Murphy was impressed with her progress in 2011 Elaine texted her
sister claiming she had been five weeks pregnant but miscarried the men involved was a
one-night stand she refused to name she wouldn't answer any more questions about
it at all although elaine was known to embellish the truth Sheila believed her stepdaughter wasn't
creative enough to come up with straight out Liars during her last day in st. Edmund's prehospital her cognitive
behavioral therapist noted elaine was cheerful spontaneous smiling alert and seemed happy
hospital staff records she excitedly talked with them and other patients incessantly about the Tall Ships
festival she was giving up a full weekends work at the news agency to attend the festival displaying a
positive change in attitude prioritizing what made her happy despite her struggles her therapist remarked 2012
had been an overall good year for Elaine her mood was best on the day she was discharged August 22 there was no
indication Elaine was feeling suicidal frank O'Hara agree with Elaine's therapists she had been doing better
lately yet he couldn't shake the fear Elaine may have harmed herself there was a consideration he was
hesitant to have but he understood the possibility Elaine lived a lonely life on her hospital admission sheet under
the heading social support network someone noted supportive dad no friends it was only half true to Elaine Frank
was not just her father but her best friend it was shortly after noon on August 22 when Elaine walked out of
hospital she visited a pharmacy and also made a phone call to the news agency to
discuss upcoming shifts after dropping her bags at home Elaine went with her father to Shangaan a cemetery almost 10
kilometres southeast of step aside on the drive there Frank recalled Elaine was distracted on
her mobile phone texting someone they visited Arlene O'Hara's grave and Elaine became visibly upset which wasn't
unusual before departing she kissed her mother's tombstone [Music] afterwards they had lunch and then went
to Frank's house standing at the doorway to his home Frank watched the lame play with her
niece who was also her goddaughter on the green across the road Elaine gave her niece a bracelet she had
made at 4:00 p.m. Elaine announced she was going home to get some rest having no explanation as to why she
didn't make it to the festival the following day Frank assumed the worst he contacted his other children to let them
know Elaine was missing they began to piece together Elaine's last-known whereabouts
Elaine's sister Ann said she had attempted to call Elaine on the night of August 22 but she never answered
Elaine's brother-in-law Mark Charles drove to Shangaan a cemetery the cemetery is upon 70 acres of flat empty
land rows and rows of tombstones are interrupted by only a few trees the wind carries the sounds of rolling waves from
Shankill beach less than a kilometre away a large experience of parkland frames the cemetery with a long stretch
of railroad on its eastern edge when Mark arrived at the cemetery he spotted a familiar turquoise colored Fiat
vehicle the rest of the ohhara family were informed and a short time later Elaine's brother John arrived to
investigate the vehicle was locked requiring them to contact roadside assistance to gain access
inside they found two packets of cigarettes a lighter Elaine's driver's license a portable satellite navigation
system and a most strangely a mobile phone charger that didn't match a lanes phone
upon the discovery of Elaine's vehicle her family in step aside-- conducted a more thorough search of her apartment
attempts to access Elaine's mobile phone were fruitless as no one knew the pinko
her medication for diabetes asthma depression vertigo cholesterol and anxiety were all inside her apartment
untouched several printouts were found two were from a hunting website they featured information on two types of
noise other printouts were of maps of nearby killakee forest and Vittori reservoir no one understood why these
were locations of interest for Elaine written in a notebook were references to a website it was a fetish social
networking dating site during an earlier search Sheila had found a black latex outfit in a laundry basket the
significance of the fetish websites and paraphernalia were lost on Elaine siblings but both Frank and Sheila
understood they were aware Elaine had a preoccupation with restraint and punishment since her adolescence and it
had manifested into a fantasy on several occasions she had spoken about it to others but the extent of her involvement
in the lifestyle was not known the detail started to unravel within her apartment
[Music] by August 24 there was still no word from Elaine having found nothing to
indicate where she may have gone frank O'Hara attended the step aside Garda Station Garda meaning guardians of the
peace more commonly referred to as guard e with guards is the police force of the
Republic of Ireland by 3:00 p.m. police headed to the Shangaan a cemetery to investigate a lanes car and to conduct
the search of the surrounding area however in addition to the large scale of the cemetery itself the landscape
surrounds were not conducive to a simple search there was a lot of ground to cover the expense of leafy parkland
sporting fields that would Brook Golf Club Shankill beach into the railroad they arranged for a helicopter to assist
in the search but it was grounded due to problematic weather as night fell police
arrived to Elaine's apartment but they didn't find anything to indicate where she might be
Elaine's apartment complex had ten security cameras throughout footage from August 22 showed Elaine leaving her
apartment shortly before 5:00 p.m. she looked to be wearing jeans with running shoes a blue jacket or jumper and she
was carrying a mobile phone since Elaine's mobile phone was found in her apartment it was unknown where she
obtained this other phone or why she was using it a canvass of the apartment block
revealed a neighbor of Elaine's was parking his car in the underground garage around 505 p.m. August 22 he
spotted a lane getting into her car alone and he playfully honked the horn to acknowledge her she waved back days
later as the search around at the shank owner parklands continued police asked park visitors if they recalled seeing
Elaine in recent days as Connor guilfoyle jogged around Shangaan a park police stopped him to inquire about
Elaine O'Hara the name was unfamiliar to Conner but when he was shown a photograph he recognized her Conner said
he had seen her in the park lands before but he couldn't recall exactly when he remembered he recently used a mobile
phone application called to map my run whilst they are chalking the app used a GPS system to track the users running
route as well as the date and time they took it at the time Connor had only used
the app twice one instance being the evening he saw a lane so he was easily able to determine via the app the time
and date he saw her around 5:45 p.m. on August 22 2012 Conner told the police Elaine had stopped him and asked for
directions to a nearby footbridge the bridge was in a secluded area of the parkland framed on either end by dense
trees and shrubbery it crossed over the railroad to the east due to an incline it wasn't immediately
visible Kanna remembered the conversation as Elaine's behavior was strange after he
told her where the bridge was their conversation ended she did not say thank you or make any sort of engagement with
him appearing distant and uninterested at approximately 6:15 p.m. kana past the lane again she was
crossing the bridge over the railroad heading in the direction of the cliffs overlooking the Shankill beach cifra as
Connor approached he considered saying humorously well you found the bridge okay but due to her previous disinterest
in conversation he just ran on without saying a word he didn't see her again police believe d'Alene had gone to the
cemetery to visit the grave of her mother from there they shaped the scenario with Elaine's history of mental
illness specifically depression playing a major part the end result being Elaine
took her own life somewhere around Shangaan ax there was no evidence to point to any other cause for her
disappearance the O'Hara family had little option but to accept this scenario they spent many hours walking
the ocean shoreline from Black Rock to Bray searching for any sign of Elaine one year after her disappearance
they laid flowers in the sea at Shangaan ax in her memory and in an effort to find some closure
the summer of 2013 brought with it a heat wave that was the hottest Dublin had been in a decade as the Irish
economy reaped the rewards of the unusually hot weather with a 30 million euro increase reservoirs bore the brunt
of the sweltering population water levels dropped significantly with no rainfall on the horizon island was
officially in drought mode the vietri reservoir in roundwood saw its usual depth of between four to six metres
dropped to just 15 to 30 centimetres as water levels lowered hidden items beneath the surface were exposed the
heatwave subsided by September 5 but the very reservoir had yet to refuel two fishermen had their lines hanging over
Sully's bridge and narrow like lying bridge that crossed the reservoir as they waited the men caught sight of a
bag in the shallow unmoving water below they didn't have the right equipment to retrieve it so they left it
five days later on September 10 William Fagan crossed Sully's bridge on his way to work he ran into his brother James
and a friend mark Quin as the men chatted something shiny in the water below caught their attention marks
applied a hook and attention strap and to the men set to work trying to retrieve the metallic object hanging the
strap over the bridge they did to the hook into the water they snagged and lifted out numerous items including a
singlet the hoodie handcuffs leg shackles and a ball gag aside from the clothing the other items were known to
be used by those within the BDSM community an erotic practice involving consensual bondage discipline dominance
and Submission without any clue what to do with their font the men placed the objects on top of the small wall of the
bridge and went their separate ways though William Fagan couldn't stop thinking about the strange items fished
from the reservoir he returned to the bridge the following day the items were still on the wall where the group had
left them William took the collection to the rent wood Garda Station handing them over to officer James
O'Donoghue not being able to immediately draw any significance from the items O'Donoghue hung the clothing up to try
and about the rest of the items however his mind was plagued with unanswered questions the following day had Donohue
contacted William Fagan wanting to be taken to where the items were found the pair arrived at Sully's bridge but the
reservoir water was too murky to see beneath the surface he conducted a cursory search of the area finding
nothing of note he left the scene but I've done a hoot until I go looking back he said quote
why would someone dispose of these in the reservoir if it's a couple just disposing of their adult toys why not
just throw them in the bin someone was trying to hide something O'Donoghue visited the bridge once more
but the water still hadn't cleared for an hour he came to the shoreline but again found it nothing O'Donoghue's gut
feeling compelled him to make a third trip to the reservoir on September 16 this time he came prepared with rubber
boots there was 5 p.m. the Sun was shining and the water was calm it had cleared slightly since his previous
visits and O'Donoghue could make out the stock end of a pair of handcuffs O'Donoghue stepped into the water
in doing so he disrupted the mud floor and a black cloud rose up obscuring his view so he began to feel around with his
hands he pulled out a set of keys with a car key a house key and the three faded
loyalty cards attached finding his suspicions were well-founded he searched further recovering an asthma inhaler
clothing a leather mask sex toys and a knife he placed they tied him into an evidence
bag and returned to the station one of the loyalty cards on the keys was for Dunn stores a large retail chain an
employee for Dunn stores revealed the owner of the card was a woman named Elaine O Hara from step aside the card
had been inactive for a year the name didn't ring any bells so I don't you called the Garda information services
hotline the name Elaine O'Hara was run through a database called pulse which holds information on perpetrators and
victims of crime that's when O'Donoghue discovered Elaine was a missing person reported just over
one year ago James O'Donoghue quote at that moment I had a sinking feeling that she was murdered and I found a murder
weapon I rang my sergeant and told him we've got a murder on our hands I've got nobody yet but I'm sure of it I told him
the name and he just pauses to I don't use surprise massagin informed him that Elaine O'Hara had just been found
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Magali Vanier was a professional dog walker she preferred to take a client's dogs - the killer came out without free
to roam and run through the woodland the killer came Anton's are part of the grand Wicklow Mountains National Park
south of Dublin the park attracts tourists and locals alike who venture for long hikes through the majestic and
dense forests to view the date mountain lakes and rocky streams the particular area Magali walk was owned by Frank
Doyle he'd given Magali permission to use his land in July 2013 the only way to access the area via vehicle was
through a gated entrance that required a key Magali trek to the area for around an hour five days per week with between
four and eight dogs around noon on August 21 2013 Magali was walking within the woods dog
companions in tow afterwards her own path a cocker spaniel King Charles Cavalier mix named Millie was nowhere to
be seen Magali called out and her cabbie emerged from the forest carrying something in
her mouth it was a long bone Magali placed it on a nearby concrete block out of the dogs rage and returned home over
the following weeks whenever Magali returned to the area to walk the dogs nearly would disappear into the forest
each time she'd returned with a new bone Magali collected the bones on the concrete block at the end of a walk on
September 13 2013 nearly again ran into the forest Magali called out but this time her
puppy didn't return Magali could hear Millie rummaging around a new boy and went to see what her dog was up to a
short animal made track led to a hidden clearing surrounded by a wall of forest within the muddy clearing Magali noticed
bones scattered about including a ribcage Magali thought that were from an animal
and continued on until she came across a pair of tracksuit pants a running shoe was stuck in one of the legs 15 to 20
meters further Magali found her dog chewing on more bones a sense of tread washed over Magali she grabbed a Milly
and rushed back to her car the men didn't have mobile phone coverage so Magali quickly dropped off the other
dogs to their owners and hurried home she contacted the lands owner Frank Doyle telling him what she had found in
the forest later that afternoon Magali returned to the men with Frank and one of his friends
sheis corded them to the area where she found the bones and clothing the remains
sunk into the ground and was slightly covered by undergrowth and grass initially the men believed they were
looking at animal bones but upon closer inspection they found a jawbone with teeth that were undeniably human by 8:00
p.m. police arrived to the killer commands they agreed the bones appeared to be human and to the area was sealed
off only three people had a key to the gate to Frank's land when asked if it was ever left open
Frank stated not to my knowledge I never leave it open myself Frank visited the area at least every two weeks more often
in hunting season he was aware people access the area without his knowledge or consent
he knew courting couples were known to occupy the area and he'd found condoms and McDonald's wrappers in the past it
wasn't the first time human remains had been discovered around the Wicklow Mountains National Park
so the question remained whose remains had Magali vernéa he stumbled across in the killer commenced
day break the following morning kicked off a search of the area of the collection of bones Magali had placed on
the concrete block three were found to be human a humerus tibia and fibula after scanning the immediate vicinity 60
to 65% of the victims skeletal remains were retrieved forensic examination confirmed the remains belonged to a
female aged in her 30s at the time of her death a cause of death was unable to be determined foul play was sensed when
a shovel was found yet the remains had not been buried an attempt may have been made by the perpetrator but the land was
difficult to penetrate to the dense tree roots underneath initial speculation was
the body could have been one of several missing women dating back to the 90s but
officers at the scene believed the death occurred more recently further forensic
tests confirmed their suspicions the time of death was limited to between one and two years prior to discovery
forensic evidence coupled with the type of clothing found at the scene gave police an inkling as to the identity of
the remains a DNA profile was obtained and cross-checked with DNA obtained from the Ohio femoral four days later on
September 17 2013 the remains were positively identified as those of Elaine O'Hara
[Music] the identification of Elaine's remains coincided with the discovery of her car
keys in the battery reservoir from what was known so far Elaine left her apartment in step aside at around 5 p.m.
August 22 2012 for reasons unknown she left a mobile phone and handbag at home but was seen on CCTV footage carrying a
different mobile phone she got into her car and drove to Shangaan a cemetery she briefly interacted with a passing
jogger in the parklands north of the cemetery before she was sighted crossing a footbridge heading toward Shankill
Beach at around 6:00 p.m. this was the last known sighting of a lane just over one year later her skeletal remains were
discovered in the secluded forest of the killer communes about a 20 kilometer drive east from schengen a cemetery a
more comprehensive search of the Volturi reservoir was conducted and the more items of interest were recovered
including a Nokia brand a mobile phone a red and black bag more BDSM related items and multiple knives the mobile
phone was severely water damaged but no key is informal reputation that they can't die was proven when investigators
found that despite sitting in the reservoir for an extended time the device actually powered on the phone
only had one contact saved under the name master masters phone number was cross-checked with numbers saved in
Elaine's mobile phone she had left in her apartment there was a match except in Elaine's phone the number was listed
under the name David when called there was no answer [Music] investigators discovered the nokia phone
found in the reservoir was purchased in November 2011 at a store on Grafton Street a main shopping strip in the
heart of Dublin there was one of two prepaid mobile phones purchased under the same transaction the phones were
sold to a male who gave the name karoon caso and two listed his address as australian Tipperary
a landlocked county in ireland south unbeknownst to the rest of the investigation team their superintendent
D meadow Sullivan was making some covert inquiries of his own he had received an
anonymous tip regarding an architect named at the wire the tipster claimed to Dwyer had killed Elaine O'Hara due to
the sensitive nature O'Sullivan kept the tipsters information confidential on a strict need-to-know
basis the architect connection to Elaine wasn't new information frank O'Hara had
previously mentioned to police an argument he had with Elaine in 2008 the pair were arguing about finances in the
heat of the moment she revealed she was seeing a professional she didn't name him only referring to him as an
architect from Fox Rock attempting to get more information from his daughter Frank asked if the men was married she
answered yes and further revealed the pair were in a BDSM relationship after this instance neither Elaine nor Frank
spoke of the architect again it was difficult for Frank to determine the legitimacy of Elaine's emotional claims
she would often say outrageous things purely to shock however investigators found more references to the architect
on Elaine's personal computer messages were sent to Elaine by a user on a fetish dating site under the name
architect 72 the messages referenced fetish boy cutting myself and punishment involving a masters scalpel Elaine's
profile had also viewed another profile under the username architect 77 superintendent O'Sullivan was determined
to positively identify the architect in Elaine's life the anonymous tipster had pinpointed bagage street as a place
where Dwyer could be found the street is located in Dublin City and sure enough an architect named Graham Dwyer worked
for a major firm in the area 42 year old Dwyer was a married father of three he lived with his family in the affluent
suburb of Fox Rock southeast of Dublin in the early hours of September 27 oh so lovin and a colleague had eyes
fixed on a sleek two-story house at the end of the tree-lined cul-de-sac of Kerry Mount close in Fox Rock the house
belonged to their person of interest Graham Dwyer it was Ben 9 and Ben's belonging to Dwyer was standing
alongside the curb out the front of his property as they were officially on public land it was legal for a Sullivan
to search them and take items without a warrant from the discarded trash they made a DNA profile of groomed while in a
search of Elaine's apartment investigators found her mattress had bloodstains puncture marks and semen
stain forensics were able to obtain a DNA sample from the semen staining it didn't match any pre-existing profiles
in the database but when it was compared to the sample obtained by O'Sullivan from Graham Dwyers rubbish there was a
match Dwyer's profile picture honey's online LinkedIn page matched the baby-faced the pot-bellied man seen on
CCTV footage at Elaine's apartment complex the men in the footage visited Elaine's apartment complex nine times
between January and August 2012 footage retrieved from July 9 2012 showed Elaine
with the men they entered the lobbies left shortly after 5:00 p.m. 40 minutes later he left the building
on footage from August 13 and 15 2012 the men was caught carrying about the same type recovered from Navarre Tree
reservoir in October 2013 furthermore the internet history on Elaine's computer revealed a Google
search had been made for Graham Dwyer architect further information had also been extracted from the Nokia mobile
phone found in the Volturi reservoir a text received from master in June 2011 mentioned he came within flying
investigators discovered a model aircraft competition in roundwood had occurred the day the text was sent the
competitor who came in fifth place in that competition was Graham Dwyer furthermore the second mobile phone
purchased by person claiming to be guru case home was pinged by cell towers in both Dublin and Galway on the same day
Dublin is on the East Coast Galway on the west the two locations are a straight 210 kilometer two and a half
hour drive from one another information gathered from toll roads revealed Graham
Dwyers Audi sports car had made a trip to Dublin and Galway the same day the mobile phone was pinging in each
location the search of the Volturi reservoir was still ongoing at this point found within was a pair of reading
glasses the serial number on the frame confirmed there were Elaine O'Hara's but the biggest discovery was made on
October 7 the second and Nokia brand mobile phone purchased by guru encase home was found along with a SIM card
like the first mobile phone this one also powered on despite being under water for an extended period data
revealed the phone had only one contact saved under the name slave the two phones purchased by karoon case home
were only ever used to contact one another a total of 300 text messages were extracted from both phones
revealing the story leading up to Elaine O'Hara's death on August 20 2012 Elaine
O'Hara was in her final days of her hospital stay she received a text message to her secret Nokia mobile from
the only contact that ever held master herb bread he must be punished for trying to kill yourself without me the
following day she received more messages at one stage Elaine found the confidence
to label her master as selfish but quickly apologized she anticipated he'd punish her for it
master responded it's up to me and you have a big punishment coming up knife in the guts
[Music] it wasn't the first violent message she had received from master he messaged her
many times regarding his desire to hurt her in one text he stated my urge to rape stab kill his huge you have to help
me control or satisfy it the graphic text messages continued as the lain prepared to leave hospital master
demanded outdoor play he stated I found a really really remote place no one will
find us Elaine admitted in multiple responses she was frightened she didn't want to talk about killing or blood
anymore master replied every time I stab and strangle you I want you to think this is it and every time I let you live
you owe me your life and they're grateful and to worship me Elaine was discharged from hospital August 22 2012
master continued to text her planning his outdoor play fantasy Elaine was overtly reluctant she didn't want him to
do anything that would cause her pain master responded you will have stab wounds do you know the drill last few
didn't bleed but these will he went on to detail his plan I want you to park as Shangaan a cemetery at 5:30 p.m. late
phone at home just bring slave phone and keys you will get further instructions there shortly before 4:00 p.m. that day
another text was received master told her it's never as bad as she thinks it's going to be adding a smiley emoticon at
the end of the message Elaine responded yes it is master told her your only job is to serve but 4:50
p.m. Elaine's consent in his plans had waned Elaine road she feared him Master then manipulated her to submit to his
demands surely after 5 p.m. Elaine arrived to Shangaan a cemetery where she received the following message
cross the railway bridge into the next park near the cliffs unable to locate the bridge Elaine stopped the jogger in
the parkland to ask for directions a message lit up her phone cross bridge and head to opposite end of park near
steps to sea then another message shortly after go down to shore and wait that was the final text sent and
received between either phone [Music] on October 17 2013 police knocked on the front door of the home belonging to
Graham the wire there was no answer so they went to a side door Dwyer eventually appeared shirtless and in
pajama pants he was arrested on the suspicion of murdering Elaine Orr on August 22 2012 10 detectives conducted a
search of DeWyze home as he was led away Dwyer participated in an interview he was asked many questions relating to
information Elaine had received from master fire texts Dwyer sister lived in the county of temporary matching an
address given by guru encase home when the two prepaid Nokia mobile phones were purchased it was becoming clear that
karoon case home was a fake name used by Graham Dwyer when purchasing the phones
wire had recently purchased the bike and in one text Elaine received from master
master explained he had just purchased the bike to get fit for murder Dwyer had also recently had a pay cut
this too was referenced in a message from master interviewing officers revealed the evidence they had gathered
so far linking Dwyer to Elaine's murder Dwyer stated he had been to the plaza where
she lived only once he was immediately caught out lying when shown all the footage of him coming and going from her
apartment complex throughout 2012 additionally the Nokia mobile phone used by master was pinged off towers near
Elaine's apartment at the time Dwyer was seen in footage visiting her Dwyer backpedaled and admitted knowing Elaine
but according to him they didn't have a sexual relationship this was contradicted by his semen staining found
on her mattress Dwyer then confessed he was in a sexual relationship with Helene
but had lied to keep the affair from his wife an invoice made out to Dwyer revealed an order was made online on
August 17 2012 to an outdoor sports shop the invoice was for a buck special one-one-nine hunting
and note us the package be marked private and confidential the knife was delivered to Dwyers workplace on the
morning of August 21 2012 the day before Elaine went missing additionally extensive amounts of erotic
horror content were found on Dwyers personal computer he shared files with Elaine's computer
about stabbing and killing also found were homemade videos featuring Elaine filmed by Dwyer the mobile phone wire
used for his day-to-day life was switched off between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. the night Elaine went missing
boy was charged then planted not guilty to the murder of Elaine O Hara courtroom
number 13 in Dublin's criminal court was filled to capacity On January 22 2015 the day his trial started the mood in
the court was somber as the first witness took the stand Elaine's father Frank he gave an emotional account of his
daughter's life her battle with mental illness and how she hoped to one day become a primary school teacher the
defense counsel aimed to pull apart each piece of evidence to prove it was all circumstantial but in total they only
called three witnesses to the stand and question of them all within 30 minutes the prosecution summoned 194 witnesses
they included Dwyers current wife when shown a photograph of the shovel found in the forest of the killer came ends
where Elaine's remains were discovered she identified it as belonging to her household she noticed some time ago that
it was missing Torrez ex-partner described him as controlling and abusive during their relationship he expressed
the desire to stab her during sex he asked to bring a knife into the bedroom promising he wouldn't hold it
despite her being uncomfortable he went back on his word and held the knife during intimate acts
another witness spoke a trial via videolink Casey not her real name testified she had met Dwyer online she
shared with him her psychiatric issues including feeling suicidal a document was found on Dwyers computer titled
killing Casey there was a story detailing the fictional murder of Casey Casey revealed
Dwyer discussed a fantasy of wanting to stab a woman during sex she believed there were similarities between herself
and Elena Hara and it was clear to her Dwyer targeted vulnerable submissive lonely women who were easy to control
the trawl lasted eight weeks and on March 27 2015 the jury reached a verdict they found
Graham Dwyer guilty [Music] the wire was given a mandatory life sentence justice Tony hon quote it's
difficult to look beyond the chilling and premeditated murder execution almost carried out after a protracted campaign
of the most vile manipulation and abuse of a woman who was too weak to resist and who made the fatal mistake of
trusting mr. Dwyer that he wasn't going to go any further than he indicated on August 22 when you read the booklet of
texts you want to cry out to her to stop and turn back of course it was too late
for that so that is it life it is the identity of the anonymous tipster who phoned police to name the wire as the
suspect and the reason why they thought why was the suspect has never been revealed what exactly happened when
Elaine was murdered into the exact cause of her death has never been determined a
victim impact statement was read out in court prepared by frank O'Hara we know we are not the only victims of this
crime we recognized that other families are suffering too and we feel for every other person affected words cannot
adequately describe how we are feeling and we would never want any other family to go through what we have endured over
the past two and a half years we have lost a daughter a sister and a friend in the most brutal traumatic and horrifying
manner we also have many unanswered questions which we will have to carry with us for the rest of our lives
elaine was a very intelligent girl who never fully realized her potential due to her psychological difficulties she
was always there to help and assist others giving lifts covering shifts at work or collecting many of the items for
the Christmas fair at school Elaine adored her niece who was also her goddaughter and to love greeting
painting and playing with her for months after she went missing her goddaughter would point out cars that were like
Elaine's saying there's a lanes car we smiled and nodded how can you explain something to a young child that we
couldn't understand ourselves since she left us Elaine has two more Nations but they will never know there aren't
Elaine's ambition was to be a teacher and she was studying Montessori in 2014 we collected a BA in Montessori
education which was awarded to her in st. Nicholas Montessori School she would have been so happy and proud to stand up
in her gown and her to accept that degree herself and overcoming many obstacles to finally get the
qualification she longed for but unfortunately this was not meant to be when Elaine went missing in August 2012
we were devastated at that time she appeared to us to be progressing well in life she had a new apartment was
studying and working in two jobs she had a setback in July 2012 and was voluntarily admitted to hospital
however on weekend release she was in very good form and was looking forward to the future our attempt at closure was
premature as when in September 2013 Elaine's remains were discovered the guard our investigation changed from
that of a missing person to murder this led to further anguish for the family as
we now faced the unimaginable horror to Elaine having been murdered the trial has been an incredibly difficult
experience it was heartbreaking for us to listen to the text messages Elaine received from a depraved and diseased
the bond the manipulation of her vulnerability was apparent and when she tried to resist
she was reined back in we can hear her voice in those texts just wanting to be loved we will
probably never know what happened in killakee on Wednesday the 22nd of August 2012 but there are questions that
trouble us when did Elaine realize it was not a game anymore when did she realize that the intention
was to kill her for real did she try to run was she restrained did she suffer much could she and did she cry out was
she left on the mountain to die alone [Music] this is our life sentence for us there
is no parole [Music] thank you for listening to today's episode I have just a very quick
announcement we'll be on a very short mid-year season break it's nothing to worry about
there was no episode due next week anyway and we're just taking one extra week so two weeks with no episode then
we'll be back with two episodes one off and then back on the usual schedule of three on one off that we've been doing
all year thank you

Case 87: Elaine O’Hara

Sheila stood vigil; eyes transfixed on Elaine’s apartment. She waited for Elaine’s car to pull up, light to flicker on, her shadow to move past a window…

Maintain Twins Dannette & Jeannette Millbrook’s Billboard – Link to the Millbrook twins billboard fund https://www.youcaring.com/dannetteandjeannettemillbrook-1090923

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research – Bonnie Lavelle Robinson Writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-87-elaine-ohara

Brief Summary

The episode discusses the disappearances of the Millbrook twins and Elaine O'Hara, highlighting investigation failures and tragic outcomes.

Key points

The Disappearance of the Millbrook Twins. In March 1990, twin sisters Jeanette and Annette Millbrook vanished without a trace, their case ignored for decades.
Elaine O'Hara's Last Day. On August 22, 2012, Elaine O'Hara left the hospital with no indication of her fate.
Elaine's Struggles. Elaine faced significant mental health challenges, leading to multiple hospitalizations throughout her life.
Mysterious Items Found in Reservoir. A collection of BDSM-related items is discovered in a reservoir, raising questions.
Discovery of Elaine O'Hara's Remains. Elaine's remains were positively identified after being discovered in a secluded forest.
Graham Dwyer Arrested. Graham Dwyer was arrested on suspicion of murdering Elaine O'Hara in 2012.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Frank texted his daughter masking his anxiety with a joke: 'Are you alive?'.

Frank's concern for Elaine grew as she didn't respond.

6:48WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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