In June 2017, a family out for a picnic discovered a human torso discarded in a ditch in the Wicklow mountains. Gardaí and army personnel came together to comb the area for any clues. The search recovered fifteen more body parts dumped in nine different locations across a 30km range.

Initially, it was believed the body was that of a young man, after the recovered bones were measured. But this theory was about to turn on its head when one month later, a man walked into a garda station in Rathfarnham, in south Dublin, with a confession. He knew about the body parts, and he knew what had happened.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman explores the murder of Patricia O’Connor, a retired woman living in a house full of tension and how it led to a case that quickly became one of the most disturbing ever faced by gardaí.

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Frank Greaney

Script Edited by Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhán Maguire

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree