Cracking the case

Christy Mangan knows how hard it is to solve a murder.

In his forty-year career, Mangan participated in or led over 100 murder investigations. And he set up the Garda cold case unit to examine some of the state’s most troubling unsolved killings. Now, in Cracking the Case, he takes a deep dive into how investigations are run.

Cracking the Case includes the extraordinary story of Charlotte and Linda Mulhall – dubbed ‘the Scissor Sisters’ – who killed and dismembered their mother’s abusive boyfriend, and how Mangan elicited a full confession from Linda.

A gripping account of murder in high society – the 1985 death of Fr Niall Molloy – has a striking analysis of why mishandling of the case led to so many conspiracy theories. And Mangan’s description of gang warfare in Drogheda, and the 2020 killing of teenager Keane Mulready-Woods, is as tense as a thriller. It is also a chilling warning of what happens when criminals get their hooks into a community.

In his accounts of these and other fascinating cases, Mangan’s focus is always on giving the victim’s family answers. He also shows a deep understanding of the complex reasons people are drawn into crime or commmit unthinkable acts. Cracking the Case is a remarkable insight into the mind of a gifted garda working at the highest level.

Christy Mangan retired at the rank of chief superintendent in 2022.