He is one of the most notorious killers in the history of the North's Troubles, and when he staged a single-handed attack on a Provisional IRA funeral at Milltown Cemetery in 1988 his face became infamous across the world.

Today, Michael Stone is wheelchair bound and poses for selfies with young loyalists who see him as a cult hero for one side of a bitter divide.

But was Stone a true loyalist paramilitary or was he simply a violent psychopath with a bloodlust and a desire to cement his name in history?

Nicola Tallant talks with journalist Hugh Jordan, who met Stone at the recent Orange Order centenary event at Stormont, and with his friend, Jim Murtagh, who grew up with the convicted killer and who remembers a strange young man who was cruel to animals and who was an outsider in his home and community.

Episode 116: Michael Stone - a true Loyalist paramilitary or simply a violent psychopath?

He’s one of Ireland’s most sinister and twisted killers who groomed his vulnerable victim and gave her take a starring role in her own murder. 
In this two-part Crime World special, written by Niamh O'Connor, we look back on the gruesome details of Graham Dwyer's relationship with Elaine O'Hara, and her tragic, brutal killing.  
We hear the text messages that passed between the pair in the days before her death, and get a glimpse of the sickening bloodlust hidden inside this seemingly ordinary family man.  
And we learn how, over a year after her death, a series of miracles would lead police to Elaine O'Hara's body — and her killer.  
The story of Graham Dwyer and Elaine O'Hara is a shocking one, so, if you're squeamish, this episode isn't one for you. And it definitely isn't one for a younger audience, so be mindful where you listen to it.

Crime World Long Read: The twisted secrets of sadistic killer Graham Dwyer (Part 1)

He’s one of Ireland’s most sinister and twisted killers who groomed his vulnerable victim and gave her take a starring role in her own murder. 
In this two-part Crime World special, written by Niamh O'Connor, we look back on the gruesome details of Graham Dwyer's relationship with Elaine O'Hara, and her tragic, brutal killing. 
We hear the text messages that passed between the pair in the days before her death, and get a glimpse of the sickening bloodlust hidden inside this seemingly ordinary family man.  
And we learn how, over a year after her death, a series of miracles would lead police to Elaine O'Hara's body — and her killer.   
The story of Graham Dwyer and Elaine O'Hara is a shocking one, so, if you're squeamish, this episode isn't one for you. And it definitely isn't one for a younger audience, so be mindful where you listen to it.

Crime World Long Read: The twisted secrets of sadistic killer Graham Dwyer (Part 2)

IT'S a Mecca for true crime super fans, where detectives, lawyers and even podcasters become celebrities for a weekend and the public mix and mingle with faces and voices they know so well.

Created in America, where the genre has become a major multi-million dollar industry, Crime Con is relatively new to this side of the Atlantic but has already built up a cult following.

This week we attended the show to talk to those showcased in a growing media arena where murder meets entertainment.

We talk to podcasters, genealogists, detectives and the true crime enthusiasts, who say that victims remain centre stage throughout the event focused on catching killers and untangling mysteries.

Episode 117: Crime Con - where murder meets entertainment

Crime World, with Nicola Tallant, is a weekly Irish podcast about criminals, drugs and the sins of the underworld. Discussing the real stories, and the real people, behind the grisly headlines.

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