My wife’s killer is about to be let out. Minister, don’t let him near my family
SHEwasthegirlnextdoor.Toherdevotedhusband,JoyceQuinnwasasclosetoperfectionasyoucouldgetinthisworld.Thecouplehadthreehealthyandhappychildren–Nicole,20,David,15and14-yearoldLisa–andlifewasidyllic.
Thenonenightshevanishedandheryoungfamilyknewinstantlythatsomethingterriblehadhappened.Theirfearswereconfirmedinthemostshockingwaythefollowingmorning when beautifulJoycewasfounddead,lyingseminakedafterbeingsavagelyattackedwithaboningknifeandraped.
Hoursearlier she had kindlystoppedtogiveoneofthecustomersathergroceryshopinKildaretownalifthome.Thecustomer’shome,inMilltown,Co.Kildare,wasnotfarfromherownandJoycedidnotthinktwiceaboutit.
However,unknowntothemotherof three, 21-year-old KennethO’Reillyhadbeenstalkingherforweeks and had meticulouslyplannedhisattack.
TheunemployedbutcherstabbedJoycewithaboningknifehehadtakenfromhistimeworkinginthelocalchillingfactoryandbrutallyrapedher.
O’ReillywassentencedtolifeformurderbutwasnotconvictedofrapebecauseitwasneverdeterminedwhetherJoycewasalive,dying or dead when he sexuallyassaultedher.
Thisweek,Joyce’shusbandRayspokeexclusivelytotheIrishMailonSunday as he and his familysteelthemselvesfortheimpendingreleaseofO’Reilly.
Aretiredcolonel,RayisaskingtheGovernmenttoprotecthimandhisfamilyafterhespentalifetimeservinghiscountryintheArmy.
HewantsO’Reilly–whosefamilystillliveinnearbyMilltown–tobebannedfromthecountyofKildareandhaswrittentoJusticeMinisterCharlie Flanagan this weekoutlininghisdeepconcerns.
‘MythreechildrenlivebesidemeandIhaveeightgrandchildrennow.Joyce’smotherislivingindependentlyandinhernineties,’hesaid.
‘Wedonotwantthisboyoanywherenearus.Myyoungestdaughter,herhusband’sfamilylivenextdoortotheO’ReillyfamilyinMilltown.
‘Itistoocloseanditispossible.Iknowofanothercasewherethis[ageographicalbarringorder]hashappened,soaprecedenthasbeenset.’
O’Reilly,who is now 43, is duebeforetheparoleboardinthecomingweeks.RayQuinnhasbeennotifiedandisanxiouslywaitingforadecisionthatwillrockhisandhisfamily’slives.
‘Realistically, he [O’Reilly] hasserved over 20 years and we are goingtorunoutofroad,’hesaid.
HeisalsoangeredbythefactthatO’ReillywasneverprosecutedforJoyce’srapeandassuchwillnotbeputontheregisterofsexoffenders.
Heexplained:‘Theywouldn’tprosecutehimforthesexualpartandthatwasthemotive.Whenhecomesout,thereisgoingtobenohintthatheisasexualoffender,hewilljustbeamurderer.Thatisbecausetheydidn’t know whether Joyce wasdyingordead,becauseoneisnecrophiliaandtheotherisrape.
‘Itwastoocomplicated.Heshouldbeontheradarforwhatheis.Themurderwasalmostincidentaltotheotherthing.’
SpeakingabouthislifewithJoyce andthehorrificaftermath,MrQuinneloquently paints a picture of anidyllicfamilylifeandhowthatwasbrutallydestroyedforhimandhisthreechildren.
‘Joycewassixteen-and-a-halfwhenwemet,’hesays.‘Shewasinmysister’sclass at school. The girl nextstore,literally.
‘IhadjustgoneintotheArmyandtherewasadance.ShecamefromanArmyfamily and that was it fromthenon.Itwasloveatfirstsight.’
Thecouplemarriedin1973,whenJoycewas21andRay23.
‘This is not rose-tinted glasses,Joyce was as close to perfection asyou are going to get in this world.Shewasgreatfun,fullofcraic.She wasefficientinaveryquietway,asupermother,superwoman.Shewasaveryhardworker,whichIdidn’treallyrealiseuntilshewasgone.’
Thatisoneofhisregrets.Hefeelshedidn’tfullyunderstandthemagnitudeoftheworkinvolvedinkeepingahouseandraisingafamily.
‘WehadanidyllicfamilylifeandIthinkthatiswhatmakesitsohardtothinkbackon.Youhaveaverynice,happyscene and then it is justdestroyedbyascumbag.’
At21O’ReillylefthisjobatthelocalchillingfactoryinKildare,takingaboningknifefromthefactorywithhim.ItlaterbecameclearthathehadbecomefixatedonJoyce.
Hehadseenherinthevillagegrocery store that the Quinn familyboughtwhenthechildrencameintotheirteens.
Ray did not know O’Reilly butafterwardsitwasdiscoveredthatJoycehadgivenhimandhisfamilycreditintheshop.Therewerenowarningsignsofwhatwastocome.To Joyce, O’Reilly was simply afamiliarfaceinhershop.
Herhusbandrecallseverydetailofthedayshewasmurdered.
‘IcalledouttotheshoptocollecttheyoungergirlandIwentontothecollecttheoldergirl.Joycewasclosingthe shop and coming home. Isaid,“Okay,seeyou”anddroveoff.Shenevercamehome.
‘He had it planned. He waited for
‘She was as close to perfect as you’ll get’