# 261: Ashling Murphy

An episode of [Morbidology](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1463979546), 17 Jun 2024, 1 h 07 min.

Audio: https://prefix.up.audio/s/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-610c47a4222ada0024acb2d8/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/2IMk17EdnEqyRhJTIpIU/claritaspod.com/measure/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60094872/morbidology_261_ashling_murphy.mp3

On the afternoon of January 12, 2022, two women were jogging along the Grand Canal in Tullamore, Ireland. Just ahead of them, they noticed a mountain bike leaning against the bushes along the towpath. As they approached, they could discern a man crouched over a woman in the bushes; she was thrashing her legs in desperation. SPONSORS - June’s Journey: The objective of this murder-mystery game is to find objects that are hidden within beautiful, colorful and carefully crafted scenes. Download June’s Journey for free on the Apple app store and Google Play. Winona: Winona is a network of OBGYN health professionals that provide physician-prescribed bioidentical HRT. Get 25% off your firsrt order with promo code “MORBIDOLOY” at: https://bywinona.com/morbidology Kalm with Kava: This is the ultimate relaxation drink crafted from the finest kava root. Enter code "MORBID10" at checkout for a special discount on your first order at: https://kalmwithkava.com/podcast ZocDoc: Zocdoc is the only free app that lets you find and book doctors who are patient reviewed, take your insurance & are available when you need them. To find a & book a top rated doctor today. Visit: https://zocdoc.com/morbidology Tailor Mushrooms: Tailor has developed a unique 100% legal mushroom blend gummy, combing isolate mushroom extract with a minimal amount of THC. Get 20% off your order with code “morbidology” at: https://tailor.store/ SHOW NOTES - https://morbidology-the-podcast-261-ashling-murphy PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidology YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/morbidology Audio Credit: Epidemic Sound Evening of Chaos - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Empty Reflections - ErikMMusic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgq4SPKHlyI A Mothers Sacrifice - OurMusicBox - https://ourmusicbox.com/ Dark Tranquility - Anno Domini Beats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mBav72Ak Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.

## Transcript

[0:34] Very strong that it's at a very poignant, a very sad moment in our
[0:39] nation's affairs, when a young talented musician had our life violently taken. Tollomore
[0:54] is a town located in County Offaly in Ireland. Its origins traced back to
[0:58] ancient times. The town flourished during the medieval era as a bustling market town
[1:03] and home to a burgeoning monastery. Tullimer's prominence grew substantially in the seventeenth and
[1:08] eighteenth century, with the establishment of the renowned Tolomore Distillery. In eighteen twenty
[1:14] nine, however, like the rest of Ireland, Tollomore faced the harsh realities
[1:19] of the Great Famine, but its resilience shone through. In the twentieth century,
[1:23] industrialism diversified its economy beyond distilling to textiles, brewing and more. To
[1:30] day, Tollomore is a blend of tradition and modernity, with the town thriving
[1:34] from its diverse economy. It's a tight knit town where people set hello to
[1:38] their neighbors and even strangers they pass on the street. The Grand Canal weaves
[1:42] its way through the center of the town, and it had become a popular
[1:47] area for joggers, walkers and cyclists, especially over the COVID pandemic. A
[1:53] stretch of the canal is known as Fiona's Way in memory of Fiona Pender,
[1:57] a pregnant twenty five year old woman who disappeared in the same area back in
[2:00] ninety ninety six and was never found. Gemma Stack and Epha Maarn were jogging
[2:06] along the Grand Canal on the twelfth of January twenty twenty two. It was
[2:10] close to three thirty pm that afternoon when they noticed a mountain bike propped up
[2:15] against the bushes running alongside the towpath. As they drew closer, they could
[2:20] see a man in the bushes. He appeared to be crouched over a woman
[2:24] who was thrashing her legs in desperation. Ashley Murphy was born on the sixth
[2:44] of July ninety ninety eight in blue Ball, near Tolomore, Countyophily, in
[2:49] Ireland. She completed the family of Raymond and Kathleen Murphy, joining an older
[2:54] brother, cathl and an older sister Amy. After her schooling at Sacred Heart
[3:00] School, a girl's Catholic secondary institution in Tullamore, Ashley in pursued her passion
[3:07] for education by enrolling in Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. Driven by a lifelong
[3:13] aspiration to work with children, Ashley embarked on studies in primary teaching. She
[3:19] gained invaluable experience during her teaching practice at Calais National School in Condeophily, where
[3:25] she left a lasting impression Damian White, the principal of the school set of
[3:30] her. She was just the very essence of a good teacher, kind and
[3:35] warm, empathetic, keen to learn. She was shy, but she had
[3:38] so many talents. By October of twenty twenty one, ashleyn had already begun
[3:45] making her mark as an educator, graduating with a Bachelor of Education degree in
[3:50] Primary teaching. Even before completing her study, she had embarked on her teaching
[3:54] journey as a substitute teacher at Durhaw National School, located about seven cilometers away
[4:00] from Tullamore. Recognizing her exceptional skills and dedication, the skill soon offered her
[4:05] a full time position where she flourished teaching first class students. James Hogan,
[4:13] the principal set of her. Ashing was a shining light in our school.
[4:16] She lit up the corridors the pupils' faces were gleaming every day to Saar an
[4:21] extraordinary, fantastic human being, a lovely lady, excellent teacher. She was
[4:28] exceptionally talented at other areas such as sports, Traditionarish music scene and you were
[4:31] on a personal level as well as my principalship and had the privilege to grow
[4:35] up with her playing music. Ashling had a talent for reaching out to any
[4:39] child and building a report with them and their parents. Her dedication to her
[4:44] students was matched only by her devotion to her love for music. At Mary
[4:49] Immaculate College, Ashlyn had specialized in music as part of her degree. Her
[4:55] lecturer, doctor Alva Kenny, said, not only was she serious about it
[5:00] studies, but she lived for music. Hailing from a family deeply rooted in
[5:05] musical tradition, Ashley was a well known figure in both local and national music
[5:11] circles across the Midlands of Ireland. Music flowed through their household, with her
[5:15] entire family talented traditional music performers. Her father, Raymond, had graced the
[5:21] stage's alongside notable acts such as The Furries and Best Foot Forward. From a
[5:28] young age, Ashley demonstrated a natural talent for music, mastering instruments such as
[5:32] the fiddle and the tin whistle. More recently, she had taken on the
[5:36] formidable challenge of learning the Illen pipes, pouring her heart and soul into the
[5:42] endeavor. Despite the instrument's complexity, Ashlen approached her musical pursuits with unwavering determination.
[5:49] She often showcased her musical prowess alongside her sister at local traditional musical festivals.
[5:57] Beyond music, she also actively participated in amogi for her local GAA club.
[6:02] The family was extremely close knit, with Ashley still living with her parents
[6:06] at home. Her father, Raymond, formerly said of her, she was
[6:11] just a special girl. She's the youngest, a little angel. She was
[6:15] just a brilliant girl in every sense of the word. Aside from spending time
[6:20] with her family, Ashlen could often be found in the company of her boyfriend.
[6:26] She and Ryan Casey had been in a relationship for five years after meeting
[6:30] at a disco when they were fifteen years old. Even then, Ryan said
[6:33] he knew there was something special about her. They spoke on the phone for
[6:38] ours almost every single night, but they went their separate ways before becoming an
[6:43] official couple. Towards the end of twenty and sixteen, he described Ashlyn as
[6:47] the light of his life and said that she was more to him than just
[6:51] a girlfriend. She was a soulmate. The couple out dreams of traveling the
[6:57] world together, getting married, building her own home, and having children.
[7:01] Ryan recollected, we often discussed how many kids we'd love to have, and
[7:06] how they'd all be mighty little hurlers or kamogie players and even better musicians.
[7:21] The twelfth of January twenty twenty two started out like any other day for Ashley
[7:27] Murphy. She went to work at school before leaving at about two thirty pm.
[7:33] From here, she climbed into her car and drove over to the Dingen
[7:38] Road car park close to the Grand Canal. Ashley typically went for a walk
[7:44] on the towpath that ran alongside the canal. She was dressed in a navy
[7:48] jacket, navy leggings, a gaa kamugi top, a white T shirt and
[7:55] gray scarf and blue night runners. Since it was the winter, she had
[7:59] topped off her outfit with the pink woolen hat. The surveillance camera close to
[8:03] Digby Bridge, which dates back to the seventeen hundreds captured Ashlen at two fifty
[8:09] five pm. She was wearing a Fitbit Versus three, a smart watch that
[8:15] had an activity tracker linked to her mobile phone that showed her crossing Digby Bridge
[8:22] at three sixteen pm, having already walked around three kilometers. She then headed
[8:28] westward back towards the car park where she had begun her walk. Just five
[8:33] minutes later, Ashlen's activity tracker began recording erratic fluctations. Around the same time,
[8:39] jem As Stack and Efa Marin were jogging along the same route that Ashlen
[8:45] was walking along. As they came closer to a hedge running alongside the tow
[8:50] path, they noticed a mountain bike within the hedge. They could hear a
[8:54] lloyd rustling and a lot of noises coming from within the dense hedge. Epha
[9:00] looked at Jemma and said, that's very strange. The two women believed that
[9:05] somebody had fallen off their bike and into the thorny hedge. Jemma called out,
[9:11] are you okay? Do you need help? Jemma then stepped in closer
[9:16] to the hedge to get a better look, and she could see the back
[9:20] of a person. He was wearing a dark bomber padded jacket with an emblem.
[9:26] Jemmy then noticed that the man appeared to be crouched over a woman and
[9:31] was holding her down in the undergrowth. Jemma couldn't see the woman clearly,
[9:35] as the man was obscuring the top of her body with his but Jemma could
[9:39] see the woman's legs and she was kicking vigorously in a scissors like motion.
[9:46] Jemma screamed out, what are you doing. The man turned to her,
[9:50] and while gritting his teeth, he snarled get away. Gemma and Ethan knew
[10:00] that something bad was happening. They feared that the man was attempting to sexually
[10:05] assault the woman and yelled at him to get off. Gemma recalled it was
[10:11] terrifying. He spoke with a foreign accent. He had a shaved head,
[10:16] sallow skin, dark eyebrows, and stubble on his face. He was still
[10:20] sitting down, the girl was still kicking. He was leaned over. When
[10:24] he ignored them, Jemma shouted that she was going to call the Guardi,
[10:28] which is the Irish police. The man then moved forward as if he were
[10:33] going to come out of the hedges. Gemma and Epha feared for their lives
[10:37] and took off running for help. Neither of them had their mobile phones with
[10:41] them, but as they approached Digby Bridge, they came across two Waterway Ireland
[10:46] workers, Charlie Kelly and Colin Petit. They ran up to the men and
[10:52] said that they needed help, that a woman was being attacked by a man
[10:56] about halfway down the stretch of canal. Two cyclists then approached and Malloy and
[11:01] Janice wilco and they turned back towards the scene to investigate, while the others
[11:07] called the guardy. They pulled up beside the mountain bike in the hedge and
[11:11] peered through. The man was now gone, but there was a lifeless woman
[11:16] lying in the bushes. One of her legs was raised up against a tree
[11:20] stump and recollected. I knew she was dead. There was very little color
[11:28] in her hands, snow white. It was twenty three year old Ashlyn Murphy.
[11:41] GUARDI Tom Dunn and she and Hunter arrived at the scene in a matter
[11:45] of minutes and began performing CPR on Ashlen while they waited for ambulance crew.
[11:52] There was blood around her face and neck and her hair was badly matted.
[11:56] Guardy Dunn recalled, we just all did between the two of us, I
[12:01] would say for ten minutes or more. They had alternated to ensure that neither
[12:05] of them became fatigued. Beside Ashlen, they found her mobile phone and her
[12:11] fitness app was still running. It was connected to her smart watch that tracked
[12:16] her movements. When Guardi Hunter looked at the screen, the app showed an
[12:22] exercise session that lasted one or twenty two minutes and twenty seconds long. While
[12:28] awaiting the ambulance, Detective Sergeant David Shahil arrived on the scene and took over
[12:31] CPR. He later said, we're not doctors. We do our best at
[12:37] the scene. We're doing everything we could to help Ashling. When ambulance personnel
[12:45] arrived at the scene, Ashley was lifted from the ditch onto the canal path
[12:48] to alloy more space for life saving efforts to continue. When she was laid
[12:54] down on the path, Guardian paramedics could finally see the source of the blood.
[13:00] Guardy Dunn recollected her head kind of went back and I could see a
[13:05] lot clearer. I could see holes or puncture wounds under her neck. I
[13:09] could see four or five, but there was so much blood it was impossible
[13:13] to see anything else. The paramedics tried in vain to save Ashley's life,
[13:18] but it was already too late. There was no pulse and her eyes were
[13:22] fixated and dilated. After consulting with colleagues and guardiat the scene, it was
[13:30] decided that resuscitation efforts should be ceased. Ashley was then pronounced dead on the
[13:35] tow path. Ashley's body was transported to Midland's Regional Hospital Tullimore, where doctor
[13:48] Sally Anne Collis performed an autopsy. On external examination, she found Ashley's hair
[13:54] was matted with blood and twigs, foliage and brambles intertwined. Ashlen had sustained
[14:01] twelve stab wounds to the right side of her neck. They had severed her
[14:05] left and right jugular veins and her right carrotied ortery. The stab wounds had
[14:11] been inflicted with such force that her voice box had been damaged. This would
[14:16] explain why she made no noise when Jemma questioned her killer and only moved her
[14:20] legs in desperation. There were defensive wounds to her hands and body, and
[14:26] the pathologist fond one potential hemorrhage on the under side of her right eyelid.
[14:33] This is a medical term that refers to small red or purple spots that are
[14:37] caused by asphyxia. However, doctor Collis said that the finding was insignificant enough
[14:43] for her to say whether Ashlen had been strangled or not. Underneath Ashley's finger
[14:48] nails, the pathologist found human skin cells. It was evident that Ashley had
[14:54] fought for her life and had scratched her killer in the process. The cells
[15:01] were collected and sent off to be analyzed, and the meal DNA profile came
[15:05] back. However, there wasn't a match in this system, but this could
[15:09] be used to rull oud or implicate any suspects that might arise. Over fifty
[15:15] Guardy and the experts from National Specialty Units were assigned to the investigation. Superintendent
[15:22] Iman Curly announced immediately following the discovery of this crime a full scale murder investigation
[15:28] was launched. The scene was sealed off and remained so, but the Gathered
[15:31] Technical Bureau of conducting a detailed forensics examination of the scene. The services of
[15:37] the State of helgists have been provided and results of a post mortem examination are
[15:41] WETD. We've established an incident room at full More gas station with a team
[15:46] of over fifty guardy assigned to the investigation. Presnell from the National Specialist Units,
[15:50] including the National Viewer of Criminal Investigation, have been assigned to the investigation.
[15:54] No stone will be left unturned bringing this perpetrator of this crime to justice.
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[18:23] the site while a team of GUARDI divers scarred the stretch of water. Other
[18:30] Guardy searched around the banks in the toepath for anything suspicious. They were still
[18:34] looking for the murder weapon or any kind of evidence that could point them towards
[18:38] Ashlean's killer. They work the undergrowth armed with pitchforks and rakes, looking for
[18:45] anything relevant. While this was ongoing, Ashlean's fitness app was analyzed. It
[18:52] showed the exact moment that she was attacked at three twenty one. The data
[18:59] showed in iraq or violent movement where the smartwatch was moving quickly from zero to
[19:03] three hundred and sixty degrees. In heart rate data that was tracked by the
[19:08] smartwatch, Ashlean's heart was beating at one hundred baits per minute. When she
[19:14] started her walk at three twenty one pm, the heart rate decreased rapidly,
[19:19] falling to a point below sixty baits per minute at three twenty seven pm.
[19:25] Her heart rate then increased rapidly until three thirty one pm, when it completely
[19:30] stopped. The News of Ashland's murder spread throughout Ireland and further afail like wildfire.
[19:45] People were horrified by the brutal and random nature of the murder, as
[19:48] well as the brazenness of it. It had occurred in broad daylight on a
[19:53] tow path where anybody could have been walking, jogging or cycling. Ireland's just
[20:00] this. Minister Helen mcintee described the murder as a truly shocking crime and urged
[20:04] anybody with any information to get in contact immediately. Local consulor Tony McCormack,
[20:11] who lived nearby, told The Irish Independent, it's scary. It's horrendous to
[20:18] think something like this can happen in your own backyard. I feel so sorry
[20:22] for that young woman's family. Imagine her getting up to go to work this
[20:26] morning or whatever, and then going for a run and for that to happen
[20:30] to her. Fiona Foyle consular Declan Harvey added, it's always very popular with
[20:36] people who are going out walking, cycling or jogging. It's usually heaven down
[20:41] there. You could go and do a five kilometer walk and it was very
[20:45] safe and everything, and for this to happen it's a shock to us all.
[20:49] I don't know how people will feel about it now, especially ladies.
[20:55] I do want to offer my condolences to your family. Since Ashlene's order had
[21:00] been witnessed by two women, Guardia already had a description of her killer.
[21:06] They described a man with a shaved head, salu skin, dark eyebrows and
[21:10] a foreign accent. Within two hours of Ashland's murder, GUARDI had arrested a
[21:15] man in connection with the crime. He was arrested based mostly on descriptions of
[21:21] the killer by the eye witnesses. When Jemma was presented with the man in
[21:25] the line up, she said that he looked similar. The suspect was described
[21:30] by the Irish Independent as a Romanian national aged in his forties who had an
[21:34] alcohol problem and had been living in the area for twenty years. However,
[21:41] just the next day the man was released and Guardian announced that he was no
[21:45] longer a suspect. He had a solid alibi, but more importantly, his
[21:49] DNA didn't match the DNA that was recovered from underneath Ashland's fingernails. Donald Fowerley,
[21:56] who represented the man, commented in the media that his life had been
[22:00] ruined. He said that people on social media had been scrambling to try and
[22:04] identify him, and after he was ruled out as a suspect, he couldn't
[22:10] return home. His photograph had been posted all over Twitter and Facebook and people
[22:15] identified him as Ashley's killer with no proof. He commented, we must never
[22:22] lose sight of the dreadful trauma to the Murphy family, but this is an
[22:26] innocent man who has now been cleared. The cleared man did several interviews and
[22:33] said that his life had been ruined simply because he looked like the killer and
[22:36] was foreign. This meant that the investigation was back at square one and the
[22:41] women of Ireland didn't feel as safe as they did before when they believed the
[22:45] killer had been caught. The GUARDI appealed for witnesses who had seen Ashlen on
[22:51] the toepath that afternoon. They suspected that the mountain bike in the bushes belonged
[22:56] to him, but that he took off on four. After encountering Gemma and
[23:02] Apha, Guardi said that the bike was a Falcon Storm mountain bike with straight
[23:07] handlebars and a distinctive yellow and green front fork. They asked if anybody knew
[23:12] anybody who owned a similar bike to get in contact right away. In an
[23:18] effort to learn more about the suspect, Guardy began scarring through CCTV footage in
[23:23] the town. One camera had captured a man in a dark tracksuit with a
[23:29] distinctive white stripe down the leg. He was cycling down Main Street in the
[23:34] hours before the murder. The bike that he was on appeared to match the
[23:38] Falcon Storm mountain bike, but from here the man disappeared out of view.
[23:45] Guardy soon heard from a woman named Ema Doyle, who had been walking her
[23:48] dog along the towpath around the same time that Ashley was attacked. She said
[23:53] that she saw a man cycling on a bike dressed in a dark tracksuit with
[23:57] a distinctive white stripe down one leg. He had a tight crew cut,
[24:03] dark hair, stubble and sallow skin. The man said a load to her
[24:07] as he passed her, and she said that he didn't have an Irish accent.
[24:14] The description of this man matched the description of the man captured on CCTV
[24:18] in the town, leading Guardy to believe that this was Ashling's killer. Lat
[24:29] Night vigils all across Ireland were held for Ashling, including Dublin, Galway,
[24:33] Darian Belfast. The impact of her murder was felt not only on both sides
[24:38] of the border, but in other parts of the world as well. He
[24:44] shocked me, how Martin said, very struck. That it's at a very
[24:48] poign at a very sad moment in our nation's affairs, when a young talented
[24:53] musician had her life violently taken, and I think it has united the nation
[24:57] in solidarity and in revulsion what has happened. Labor Party TD of Anna Batchik
[25:06] said that other vigils were going to be taking place over the next couple of
[25:08] days. She encouraged others, including men, to attend to form a critical
[25:15] mass and show condemnation of violence against women. She stated, all too often
[25:21] we're advising women and girls to look out for yourselves, take steps, don't
[25:26] walk at night. But she said that there should be more of a focus
[25:30] on perpetrator's behavior and on education of men and boys. As the vigils were
[25:34] ongoing, Ashley's pupils returned to school. They had been told by their parents
[25:41] what had happened, and they were invited to write messages to Ashlen which were
[25:45] being put in a memory box for her. The principal commented, there's not
[25:52] a dry eye in the school today. It's important to let kids know it's
[25:56] okay to be sad. Over At marymack At College, they flew the flag
[26:02] at half mast. They also set up remembrance table with Ashley's photograph and a
[26:07] candle. The twelve path where she was killed quickly became a memorial, with
[26:14] bouquets of flowers placed out on the icy ground. After a couple of days,
[26:18] her family visited the site where she was killed and led a candle light
[26:22] vigil. Following the walk, Ashley's father, Raymond, played her favorite song,
[26:29] When You Were Sweet sixteen. As he reached the final chords, he
[26:33] broke down in tears. The family then released a statement thanking all of Ireland
[26:40] for their support. They said that they were overwhelmed by the national outpouring of
[26:45] support shown to them. On the eighteenth of January, a multitude assembled to
[26:56] bid farewell to Ashley at her funeral. To get her for the large crowds
[27:02] of people who wanted to bid Ashley farewell, screens were set up at Colocky
[27:06] Community Center in the g AA Pitch. Among those paying their respects were Michael
[27:11] D. Higgins, the President of Ireland, and the Irish Premier, Mihail
[27:15] Morton. Inside seeing Bridget's Church, Ashlean's casket took its place at the forefront,
[27:22] surrounded by symbols that represented her life. These included a fiddle, a
[27:30] camogie, jersey, a family picture, a school book and pictures also present
[27:36] at the service with the children that she had taught in first class. They
[27:41] were all too young to fully grasp the weight of the occasion. All they
[27:45] knew was that their beloved teacher would never return to their classroom. They stood
[27:51] in a guard of honor, with each holding a photograph of their teacher which
[27:55] read fly High in the Sky or Shining Light. In their other hand,
[28:00] they tightly grasped a single red rose. Bishop of Meath Tom Denahan told mourners
[28:07] that a depraved act of violence had deprived Ashley of her life and had united
[28:12] the country in grief and support. He said that the murder asked questions of
[28:18] the community and of society as a whole, and raised questions about attitudes towards
[28:23] women. He stated whether those questions will be addressed or passed over remains to
[28:30] be seen, but we cannot allow such violence in disregard for both human life
[28:34] and bodily integrity take root in our time and culture. Ashley's boyfriend Ryan provided
[28:41] a heartfelt eulogy. He described Ashlin as a sowmeat and said that she would
[28:47] always remain his sow. Met Through tears, he said, I will cherish
[28:52] the last five years we spend together for my entire life. I hope that
[28:57] some day God willing and be reunited once more and continue the great plans we
[29:03] had made for each other. He then added, goodbye for now, but
[29:07] not forever, darling, as you will live on in all of our hearts
[29:11] and memories. Ashlen's cousin Kira also provided a eulogy. Ashleen epitomized the beauty
[29:19] of life and shared her passion, gifts and talents, but orders so generously.
[29:26] We pray for her friends, colleagues, and students. With Ashley's legacy
[29:32] live in the hearts of what she touched Lord hears Lord. Another cousin,
[29:38] Rachel, said, we pray that the many victuals that took place in memory
[29:42] of Ashling marked the beginning of an end to violence against women. May the
[29:48] candle light tributes bring an everlasting hope to all those that live in fear.
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[32:30] Biology, sockdoc dot com, slash more Bidology. As the investigation pressed on,
[32:39] Guardie received a tip from a hospital in Dublin. Conor McKay, a
[32:45] firefighter based on Dolphins born in Dublin, was on duty the day after Ashley
[32:50] was killed when they received a report that somebody had been stabbed. He and
[32:54] a colleague went to an apartment block in Crumblin, Dublin, about an r
[32:59] from to where they were led into a bedroom. In the apartment, there
[33:05] was a man hunched over a locker with what appeared to be three wounds across
[33:08] his chest. The man was moved on to the bed to make an assessment,
[33:14] but the firefighters found that they didn't appear to be fresh wounds. The
[33:17] blood was dry and the wounds weren't actively bleeding. Paramedics arrived on the scene
[33:24] and one of them, Neil Cosker, said that the man appeared to be
[33:29] in pain. In addition to the three stab wounds, the man had scratch
[33:34] marks all across his head, hands, and arms. Guardy Keith Brennan arrived
[33:39] at the scene and took some statements. The man was identified as thirty one
[33:45] year old Joseph Puska and the home belonged to his parents. The family were
[33:51] from Slovakia and one of Piska's cousins was helping translate. Pisque said that he
[33:58] had been stabbed by two men while he was on his way to visit a
[34:00] woman in Blanchard's town. He said that the injuries to his hands had come
[34:06] from being dragged along the ground. Pisko was transported to the hospital, but
[34:12] GUARDI were already suspicious. There were injuries to the man that looked as though
[34:16] they had come from somebody trying to defend themselves from him. GUARDI arrived at
[34:22] the hospital and set up a security protocol within the hospital grounds to keep the
[34:28] man secured there while he underwent treatment. Once the doctors gave him the all
[34:32] clear, he was arrested in connection with Ashland's murder. Joseph Piska had been
[34:43] born in Lusivna, a ski resort village in the pop Rat district of Northern
[34:47] Slovakia, in May of nineteen ninety. He portrayed his upbringing as being within
[34:52] a nurturing family environment, emphasizing his strong bond with his grandmother and proudly identifying
[35:00] with his Roma Gypsy heritage. However, accounts from those acquainted with him during
[35:05] his formative years depicted a different picture. Descriptions characterized him as having a volatile
[35:12] temperament, prone to explosive fits of rage triggered by seemingly trivial matters. One
[35:19] former classmate recollected he was weirder and aggressive. He was often fighting. His
[35:24] behavior was bat Puska found himself in trouble with police in Slovakia when he was
[35:30] a teenager after he had sex with an underage girl. He was also under
[35:36] age at the time, as the age of consent in Slovakia as fifteen.
[35:40] He was given probation after leaving school at sixteen years old. He worked on
[35:45] various construction sites in both Bartislava and Prague. He settled on and married a
[35:52] woman named Lucia, and the family relocated to Ireland. His parents had previously
[35:59] lived in Crumlin in Dublin, and his brothers and their family settled down in
[36:04] Tullimore. One local who knew piskin Slovakia recollected they went there for a better
[36:10] life because in our country it's not possible to live decently when you don't have
[36:15] a job. Upon arriving in Dublin, Pisku and his wife initially settled into
[36:21] a flat in the city's North Inner district. However, by two thousand and
[36:27] fifteen they had relocated to Tullimore, where they lived in a five bedroom council
[36:30] house. Over time, the family expanded with the addition of three more children.
[36:37] By the time Puska arrived in Ireland, he was on a disability pension
[36:42] of one hundred and sixty six pounds a week while his wife was on benefits.
[36:46] He claimed he had slipped a disk while working in Prague and as a
[36:51] result he couldn't work i Ever, according to local guarde, Pisco was labeled
[36:55] a waster and deemed a complete sponge who exploited those around him for personal gain.
[37:02] Neighbors echoed this sentiment, describing him as disrespectful. One of them said,
[37:09] I remember the mess that was in the front of the house, bags
[37:13] of rubbish everywhere. No respect for the place at all. With both Puska
[37:19] and his wife unemployed, their daily routines revolved around the confines of their home.
[37:24] One of them would manage the children's school transportation, while Puska occupied much
[37:29] of his time loitering around the town. Lacking access to personal vehicles, they
[37:35] relied on public transportation taxis or bicycles for their mobility needs. While Puska was
[37:43] married, he had signed up to various dating websites and had been trying to
[37:46] meet up with women. By twenty twenty two, Piscu's family were living in
[37:52] a home on Linnali Drive, just outside of Tullimore. They lived there with
[37:58] an extended family of twenty three people, including his brothers, their wives,
[38:04] and their children. At the hospital where Pisco was arrested, he was taken
[38:13] into a quiet room. He told the same story he had told the doctors
[38:17] through an interpreter that he had gotten into a fight and been stopped. He
[38:23] said that he was attacked in Blanchard's town and was stopped three times during the
[38:28] incident. However, Piska then seemingly had a change of heart. Detective Brian
[38:35] Jennings was told by the interpreter over a loudspeaker that Pisco wanted him to translate
[38:39] word for word what he was about to say. He then said, I
[38:45] did it. I murdered. I am the murderer. Pisky then continued,
[38:52] telling the guardie I didn't do it intentionally. I feel guilty and I'm sorry.
[38:59] Piska then said in English to the guardee, I'm sorry. I have
[39:02] family, five kids. I see girl I never see before. I have
[39:08] knife I use for chain. Piska then continued and said that he told Ashling
[39:15] to go that he wouldn't hurt her. He then added, when she passed,
[39:21] I cut her neck, she panic. I panic. At the time,
[39:25] it hadn't been publicly disclosed that Ashlyn had been stabbed to death. Pisky
[39:30] then put his finger on his lips as if he told Ashlen to be quiet.
[39:37] He then asked whether he would go to prison for ten years and pointed
[39:40] to the stab wounds on his stomach and said I did this. Pisco was
[39:46] then transported to Tullomore gardiss station where he was ordered to provide fingerprints, DNA
[39:52] samples, and blood samples. These were then sent off to be compared with
[39:58] the evidence that had been collected this in the investigation. The lab found that
[40:04] the DNA found underneath Ashland's fingernails was a match to Piscu's DNA. Furthermore,
[40:09] his DNA was discovered on the handlebars and saddle of the mountain bike found at
[40:15] the crime scene. Guardie then began piecing together Piscu's movements from the day of
[40:20] the murder. They determined that the man dressed in a black tracksuit that was
[40:24] captured on a similar looking bike on CCTV was him. At about twelve twenty
[40:30] five pm that day, Pisco was observed on CCTV coming from the direction of
[40:35] his home. He was captured on further CCTV from that day, but not
[40:39] continuously as he cycled around Tollomore On two occasions he cycled very close to two
[40:46] women, almost as if he was following them. Pisqut eventually disappeared out of
[40:53] view, but he was captured on foot that night, coming back into Tollomore
[40:58] at about eight fifty five pm. From here he fled from the town.
[41:06] He showed up at his parents' home in Crumlin in the early morning hours of
[41:09] the next morning. The next day at eleven fifty six a m. He
[41:15] was captured leaving their home in an ambulance, clean shaven. The day after
[41:25] Pisk's arrest, he was taken in handcuffs to court. A massive crowd had
[41:30] gathered outside and they shouted as he was escorted from the guardy van inside.
[41:49] Pisco was formerly charged with Ashleand's murder. When asked for a comment, he
[41:54] simply replied no. Attendees held up images of Ashley and throughout the break hearing.
[42:00] Pisco subsequently remanded into custody, and later the Director of Public Prosecutions formerly
[42:07] directed that Pisca would be facing trial for the murder charge in Central Criminal Court.
[42:14] Following the charge, figils for Ashley multiplied across Ireland and worldwide, its
[42:19] banding as far as to buy in Australia. In her memory, a virtual
[42:22] run fundraiser was organized, generating nearly twenty thousand euros for Women's Aid, a
[42:29] charity dedicated to supporting women and children facing domestic violence. The phrase she was
[42:37] just going for a run emerged as a powerful rallying cry against violence targeting women.
[42:45] In memory of Ashley and her family established a trust fund dedicated to supporting
[42:49] causes that she held dear. They also established the Ashley Murphy Scholarship to Remote
[42:53] Learning, which was in line with her profession as a teacher. In June
[42:59] of two thord twenty two, Minister for Justice Helen Mcenty unveiled a comprehensive five
[43:05] year plan allocating three hundred and sixty three million euros to combat domestic, sexual
[43:12] and gender based violence in Ireland. Highlighting a sobering statistic, she revealed that
[43:19] since nineteen ninety six, two hundred and forty nine women and eighteen children had
[43:22] been killed by men in Ireland. She stated, none of us can say
[43:29] it won't happen again, but certainly today we are saying we have those women
[43:32] and their families and so many other victims that died violently in our minds as
[43:37] we strive to work collectively to achieve that coal. In addition to the establishment
[43:43] of a new statutory agency, the plan outlined by Minister McKenty included significant reforms.
[43:51] These income passed a comprehensive overhaul of the relationships and Sexuality education curriculum,
[43:58] a doubling of the maximum sentence for assault causing harm to ten years, and
[44:02] the removal of legal obstacles enabling victims to remain in their family homes. Crucially,
[44:08] the initiative acknowledged children not only as witnesses, but also as direct victims
[44:14] of domestic violence, having experienced it within their households. Mcinti stress the importance
[44:21] of collective action in confronting the underlying issues contributing to the abuse of both women
[44:27] and men. Underscoring the responsibility incumbent upon society as a whole, she stated,
[44:35] zero tolerance means not accepting any form of abuse, be it sexual,
[44:39] be it physical, be it emotional or financial, simply because it happened behind
[44:45] closed doors in a relationship or in a family setting. It means not laughing
[44:51] off the comments or behaviors, not laughing off the inappropriate touching on a night
[44:55] out. It means teaching our young people what a healthy relationship ship is,
[45:00] and as children become young adults, what a healthy sexual relationship is. Do
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[46:57] today with code Morbidology at checkot. The one year anniversary to Ashley's murder rolled
[47:06] around in twenty twenty three, as the prosecution and defense were preparing for the
[47:10] upcoming trial. An anniversary mass took place in Saint Bridget's Church as Ashley's family
[47:16] requested privacy. To mark the one year anniversary, a memorial bench was erected
[47:22] at the canal where Ashley was killed. It featured a cross in a portrait.
[47:28] Ashlen's boyfriend Ryan posted a heartfelt tribute on his Facebook which read in port
[47:34] time can move at a pace which can be impossible to comprehend, but one
[47:38] thing for sure is, no matter how fast time may pass, there isn't
[47:43] a single second that goes by where my heart doesn't ache for you. There's
[47:47] a saying that goes you don't know what you have until you lose it.
[47:51] But the reality is we both knew exactly what we had, exactly what we
[47:55] wanted. It's just we never thought we'd lose it. The tribal was scheduled
[48:04] for October of twenty twenty three, but before then there were five more people
[48:09] arrested. Mark Puska, Lubamir Puska and Lucia Estova were charged with withholding information.
[48:19] Josephina Grandoza and Vieira Gazovia were charged with impending the arrest of an alleged
[48:24] defender. They were all bailed That afternoon. On the sixteenth of October,
[48:31] Joseph Puska appeared in court, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder of
[48:36] Ashling. The jury were then sworn in and judged. Tony Hunt warned them
[48:42] that the case had attracted probably more than the usual share of publicity. He
[48:47] said to the jurors that they shouldn't serve if there is anything about the publicity
[48:51] that surrounded the case that would lead you to think you could not approach it
[48:55] in a fair and open mind. He said that Puska and the prosecution were
[49:00] entitled to affair an unbiased jury. He then added, in particular, if
[49:07] you have engaged in commentary or overt exchanges on social media, I must ask
[49:12] you not to serve on this case. The jury system is very important to
[49:15] us. It's the way in which serious allegations are dealt with. But the
[49:20] integrity of the system depends on the honesty and integrity of jurors. The next
[49:27] morning, Puska arrived at Dublin's Criminal Courts of Justice. He sat alongside his
[49:31] defense team as the public gallery quickly filled up with Ashland's loved ones Due to
[49:38] the public interest in the case, an overflow courtroom was set up where people
[49:43] could watch the proceedings by video link. During the opening statements, prosecutor and
[49:49] Marie Lawler said that the evidence against Piske included maps, urs of CCTV footage,
[49:54] and witnesses. She said that with the charge of murder, the ju
[50:00] he needed not only to decide who killed Ashlin, but also that there was
[50:04] an intention to kill or seriously injure. She then informed the jury that Ashley
[50:09] had been stabbed twelve times, eleven of which were to the right side of
[50:14] her neck. She stated, if you stab someone eleven times to the neck,
[50:21] that is likely to kill or cause serious injury. The prosecutor said that
[50:25] there was no prior connection between Ashley and Pusca, and that he had targeted
[50:30] her after seeing her alone along the towpath. She glanced from juror to juror
[50:37] as she said the DNA samples from underneath Ashley's fingernails matched that of Pusca.
[50:43] Prosecutor Lawler said that briars and thorns by the canal would emerge as significant because
[50:49] Puska was later found to have cuts on his hands that were consistent with walking
[50:52] through them. She also told the jury that when Guardy spoke with Pisca,
[50:58] he said through a translator, I did it. I murdered. I'm the
[51:01] murderer. She told the jury that his comments were hugely significant because he was
[51:07] accepting responsibility for having killed Ashling. The prosecutor went on to say it was
[51:14] their belief that Puska had been looking for a woman to attack that day.
[51:19] He had been cycling around the town aimlessly for ours and had cycled very close
[51:23] to two women. The testimony got underway after Prosecutor Lawler stepped down. The
[51:36] jury were shown photographs of the scene at the Grand Canal towpath, while Leam
[51:39] Farrell, a cartographer attached to the Guardie mapping section, pointed out specific areas.
[51:45] Other places were shown, including a map of Tullamore which pointed out the
[51:50] various CCTV cameras that had picked Puska up that day. The two women who
[51:54] had witnessed part of the attack, Jenna Stack and Epha Marin, testified about
[52:00] what they had seen that afternoon. Jenna said that Ashling was lying on the
[52:04] ground with somebody crouched over her, and she was kicking so hard like she
[52:08] was crying out for help. She testified the girl she was lying on the
[52:15] ground and she was kicking so hard, like she was crying out for help.
[52:19] She was moving whatever of her body she could to get help. The
[52:23] interaction lasted about thirty seconds. During cross examination by defense attorney Michael Bowman,
[52:31] the possibility was raised that the man they saw was trying to offer assistance.
[52:37] He admitted for the first time that the man they saw was indeed Joseph Puska,
[52:43] but said that his recollection there was an engagement with Jenna, but he
[52:46] didn't know what she said. The defense attorney claimed that Puska hadn't told her
[52:52] to go away aggressively, but said that he was in pain from having his
[52:55] legs cut on the briers. His comments made it clear for the first time
[53:01] that the defense was going to be that Pisco was innocent and he had stumbled
[53:06] across the scene and tried to help Ashling. The cyclist Edna Malloy testified about
[53:12] finding Ashland's body, while Charlie Kelly, a Waterway's Ireland worker, testified about
[53:16] Jenna and Efe of flagging him down. The jury were then shown the CCTV
[53:22] footage of Fisky in the town. In the oars leading up to the murder,
[53:27] more than twenty five thousand oars of footage had been collected and analyzed.
[53:31] During one clip, Piskot appeared to reach into his pocket, then reach into
[53:36] the other pocket, and put both hands to the front of his body.
[53:38] For a few seconds, he appeared to have something in his hands, and
[53:45] then returned his hands to his pockets. There was a suggestion that the item
[53:50] in his hands was the knife, but the defense attorney argued that the footage
[53:53] was too greeny to reach that conclusion. The jury would then hear from Anne
[53:59] Marie Kelly, one of the women that Piska had followed the day that Ashling
[54:02] was killed. She said that she was walking home when a man on a
[54:07] bike began following her. When she turned round, the man was staring directly
[54:12] at her, and she identified the man in court as Puska. The footpath
[54:17] widened, so Anne Marie stepped aside to allow the man to pass, but
[54:22] he didn't. She said that she continued to walk but felt very uncomfortable.
[54:29] She testified, I decided that before the path narrowed, I would stop and
[54:34] just look at my phone, so he would have to pass me. He
[54:37] did pass me, and as he passed it was in really, really slow
[54:40] motion. It felt like a few minutes, but it was only a few
[54:45] seconds, I'm sure. She continued on her walk towards the canal and led
[54:51] her dog off the lead, but when she did, she noticed that Pisca
[54:53] was now standing to the left of her. She decided to move to the
[54:59] grassy part of the canal, thinking that he couldn't follow on his bike,
[55:02] but as she continued to walk, she turned around and saw that he was
[55:07] following her. He was walking fast and pulling the bike alongside him. Anne
[55:13] Marie said that she eventually started running just to get away from him, and
[55:17] she never saw him again after Once more, Piscu's defense attorney refuted this.
[55:23] He said that Pusker recollected passing the witness and looking at her, but denied
[55:28] he stared at her or was following her. Testimony then shifted to Puska's movements
[55:34] after Ashley was killed. Rostislav Pakuta said that he showed up to his home
[55:38] in Tullomore at nine pm. He said that Pusker's face was wet, his
[55:44] face was scratched, and he was very quiet. He told Rostislav that he
[55:49] had been in a fight in the town, but he didn't disclose who with.
[55:53] Rostislav testified that Puska was wearing a drark tracksuit with a white stripe on
[55:58] the side. Puska asked if he could be driven to his home and rose
[56:02] to Slavi a great He testified. I asked him several times what happened.
[56:09] He didn't look right at me. I asked him twenty times. He didn't
[56:13] want to talk to me. I said, why didn't you wring the guards?
[56:15] And he didn't answer. On the way home after the roundabout, he
[56:21] asked me to slow down in case there was someone outside his home. I
[56:25] said, why are you worried if you didn't do something wrong? He said,
[56:30] leave it. I drove him down to the house and he went in.
[56:35] The confession that Puska made was then presented to the jury. Guardy Hogan
[56:39] said that Pusko was upset and crying, and that he had offered him a
[56:43] solicitor and told him he didn't need to make any comments, but Puska said
[56:49] the reason he was confessing was because he felt guilty and he regret what he
[56:53] did. Puska had even signed a note of the confession, and Guardy testified
[56:59] that he was in low spirits and even desperate after the confession. The forensic
[57:06] evidence against Puska was then presented, with doctor Kim Connick testifying that Pusker's fingerprints
[57:12] were found on the mountain bike at the crime scene. DNA expert John Horde
[57:17] told the jury that Pisku's DNA was also discovered on the bike and underneath Ashley's
[57:22] fingernails. The jury then heard about another interview with Pisca four days after his
[57:28] confession, where he denied the murder. He told Guardy he had never seen
[57:34] Ashley that day. He was informed that his DNA was found underneath her fingernails
[57:38] and informed that when somebody is struggling for their lives, they often use their
[57:43] nails to defend themselves. When asked how his DNA had got under her fingernails
[57:49] if he had never seen her before, he responded, I will not comment
[57:53] on that. He also refused to comment on the fact that his bike with
[57:58] his DNA was found beside her by, and he refused to explain the scratches
[58:01] on his face, hands and arms. During the second week of the trial,
[58:07] the courtroom fell to a hushed silence as Joseph Puskus stepped up to the
[58:10] witness stand. He was the first witness for the defense and was dressed in
[58:16] a dark suit with his shoulder length hair slicked back. Speaking through a translator,
[58:22] he explained his recollection of the day that Ashley was killed. He described
[58:28] cycling around Tollimore and denied that he had followed any women that day. The
[58:34] CCTV footage showed him clearly following Anne Marie Kelly, and when presented with this,
[58:39] Puska testified, this is the truth that I was behind her, but
[58:45] there was no bad intention whatsoever. I was riding the same way I was
[58:49] riding all over town. I had no intention of following anybody at all.
[58:54] When he was asked whether he had killed Ashling, he responded, no,
[58:59] it was me. He claimed that he had been stabbed in the stomach by
[59:02] a man wearing a face mask when he was cycling along the canal. He
[59:07] said that a woman appeared that he didn't know and said something to the man.
[59:13] According to Puska, the man stabbed him once more before he turned to
[59:16] the woman, who was allegedly Ashlin, and they disappeared into the bushes.
[59:22] He said that he stood there for a few moments and then walked over to
[59:25] the bushes where he saw the man stabbing Ashling. Puska testified that he shouted
[59:31] at the man, who then came towards him and ran off. He said
[59:37] that he went into the bushes to Ashling. He testified, I was trying
[59:42] to help her with what was in my power, but I had no experience
[59:45] in medical care. Prosecutor Lawler put to him that Ashley had clawed him in
[59:51] an effort to defend herself. He responded, I was by her. Yes,
[59:58] there's a possibility, my Danne, I was there, but I know
[1:00:00] she had gloves. It's strange. According to pisk he then stayed in a
[1:00:06] ditch or surge strain for several hours because he felt sick. When it was
[1:00:12] dark, he walked to Rostislav's home and asked for a lift to his parents'
[1:00:15] home. As for the clothing that Puska was wearing, he asked his family
[1:00:21] to burn them. After this, the defense rested their case, bringing the
[1:00:25] trial to a close. During closing arguments, Prosecutor Lawlor said that pusk had
[1:00:31] spawned a story on lies and fantasy in the forlorn belief it would cover the
[1:00:37] truth about the murder. She said that it was unequivocally, boldly, clearly,
[1:00:44] and without any doubt evident that he was responsible for Ashlen's death. She
[1:00:49] stated, Joseph Pusk admitted that he killed Ashlen Murphy. Then he pivoted,
[1:00:54] swung and changed again, and he had spawned you, absolutely and on a
[1:01:00] quivocally a structure of lies and mistruths, some of which I say are absolutely
[1:01:04] foil in their nature. He has done that, and what I hope is
[1:01:07] a forlorn belief he will succeed. Defense attorney Michael Bowman refuted this and portrayed
[1:01:15] his client as a good Samaraidan. He said to the jury, he did
[1:01:21] no more than any of the rest of you would have done in those circumstances.
[1:01:24] What he has done, unfortunately afterwards, has cast him in the light
[1:01:29] of suspicion and leaves him before this court. The test here is whether what
[1:01:34] he said could reasonably be true. Following just two hours of deliberation, the
[1:01:40] jury delivered their verdict. Joseph Pisco was found guilty of the murderer of Ashley
[1:01:46] Murphy. Upon hearing the verdict. Judge Tony Hunt addressed the courtroom, stating,
[1:01:53] we have evil in this room, no doubt about that. He expressed
[1:01:59] agreement with the jury's decision and commanded their swift rejection of what he described as
[1:02:04] Puska's nonsense. Joseph Puska was then handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom.
[1:02:12] As the jury left, they were met with a standing ovation from members in
[1:02:15] the public gallery. In appoignant moment, Dashling's mother held up a framed photograph
[1:02:21] of her daughter. While the judge requested silence, he acknowledged the understandable applause
[1:02:28] resonating throughout the courtroom. Outside of court, Ashley's boyfriend Ryan and her brother
[1:02:34] Catherl read aloud of statement on behalf of the family. Ryan said, Ashley
[1:02:40] was a vibrant, intelligent, and highly motivated young woman, and she was
[1:02:45] the epitome of a perfect role model for every little guard to look up to
[1:02:49] and strive to be. She was not only an integral part of our family,
[1:02:53] but she was also a huge shining light in our community, a community
[1:02:57] in which year in year out she gave back to as best she could.
[1:03:02] Catle then stood before the microphone did you just The process cannot bring our darling
[1:03:07] Ashley back, nor can it heal our words, our wounds. But we
[1:03:12] are relieved that this verdic delivers justice. It is simply imperative that this vicious
[1:03:16] monster can never harm another woman again. On the seventeenth of November, Pusk
[1:03:22] returned to court to be sentenced. Ashlen's loved ones provided victim impact statements,
[1:03:28] including her boyfriend Ryan. He described how when they met, they couldn't get
[1:03:32] enough of each other. He said that their relationship was filled with love,
[1:03:37] trust and respect, and that they had big plans for the future. He
[1:03:43] added that it didn't make sense to him that somebody who is a burden to
[1:03:46] society can completely and permanently destroy someone who is the complete opposite. He described
[1:03:54] Ashlen as a light with dreams, compassion, respect, a person who contributes
[1:04:00] to society in the best way possible. As Ryan spoke, Piska turned to
[1:04:05] his translator and asked him to stop translating. Ryan then turned to Pisca and
[1:04:12] said, I don't care where you end up or what happens to you after
[1:04:16] today, but you smirked, you smiled, and you showed zero remorse throughout
[1:04:23] this trial, which sums up who you really are, the epitome of evil.
[1:04:28] But one thing is for sure, you will never ever harm or touch
[1:04:30] another woman ever again. And when your day of reckoning comes, may you
[1:04:35] be in a hell a whole half hour before God even knows you're dead.
[1:04:42] Ashlen's mother's victim impact statement was read aloud by a detective Gordie. She described
[1:04:47] how her heart was ripped from her body the moment she learned her daughter had
[1:04:51] been killed. Ashley's older sister Amy said that Ireland had lost somebody who made
[1:04:59] a difference. Joseph Puska was then sentenced to life in prison, a sentence
[1:05:04] that Judge Tony Hunt said was the only one available and richly deserved. The
[1:05:11] judge said that Perska's evidence had been indescribable and said the only thing that wasn't
[1:05:15] known in the case was why. From court, Pisco was transported to clover
[1:05:20] Hill Prison, where he was processed as prison number one one seven nine two
[1:05:26] three. He was placed on twenty four UR suicide watch for the first couple
[1:05:31] of weeks and kept in a padded cell. In April of twenty twenty four,
[1:05:38] he was granted legal aid to appeal his conviction that is still ongoing.
[1:05:45] As for the other people who were charged, they were identified as Puska's wife,
[1:05:49] his brothers, and their wives. Their trials are scheduled to begin in
[1:05:54] April of two thousand and twenty five. Well, Bestie's that is it for
[1:06:11] this episode of Morbidology. As always, thank you so much for listening,
[1:06:15] and I'd like to say a massive thank you to my newest supporters up on
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