Brutal serial killer now a 'nervous wreck' behind bars over fears case could reopen

A brutal serial killer who attacked two women, but faced justice for only one, has become a 'nervous wreck' behind bars over fears a murder case could reopen. John Shaw, 77, is known to be from the Greater Manchester area alongside his now-deceased partner-in-crime, Geoffrey Evans.

But the pair carried out their evil crimes across the Irish Sea, with Shaw still caged in Ireland. Shaw is serving a life sentence for the murder of Mary Duffy.

He also confessed to killing Elizabeth Plunkett in August 1976 alongside Evans, but her family say no one has ever been convicted of her murder. Shaw is now fearful he will lose his temporary release if the Garda Commissioner decides to reopen the case into Ms Plunkett's killing, the Irish Mirror reports.

Her family say the director of public prosecutions (DPP) at the time decided to prosecute them only for the murder of Mary Duffy. Ms Plunkett, from Ringsend in Dublin, was raped, strangled and her body was tied to a lawnmower, before being rowed out to sea at Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow.

Her remains were found on Duncormick beach in Co Wexford four weeks later. Following a verdict of unlawful killing last month at her inquest, Ms Plunkett's family called on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to reopen the case and resubmit a file to the DPP.

Now according to a source, Shaw, 77, is fearful the parole board could take the recent media coverage into account when allowing him up to four days a year of temporary release. A source said that since the murder of Ms Plunkett hit the headlines, evil Shaw, who is serving a life sentence at Dublin's Arbour Hill Prison for Ms Duffy's brutal killing has become 'a recluse and is even more on edge than normal'.

The source said: "At the moment, Shaw is