John Duffy had remained silent for nine years after he was arrested for the brutal murders of young women in and around London that shocked the nation.
But when he broke that silence he revealed he had an accomplice in the murders he committed, and it was the same man police now suspected was still attacking women nine years later in 1997.
This shock breakthrough led to a huge police investigation, one of the biggest in the nation’s history which culminated in the two rapists and murderers facing each other down in court, reports the Mirror.
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David Mulcahy was finally brought to justice in 2001
(Image: PA)
It also meant that their victims and their victim’s families finally saw justice.
Duffy’s murders began in 1985 with 19-year-old Alison Day who was raped and strangled near Hackney Wick station, making global headlines.
Then in 1986, 15-year-old Dutch girl Martje Tamboezer was attacked and killed in similarly brutal fashion cycling near Horsely station in Surrey.
Anne Lock, 29, disappeared after getting off a train in Hertfordshire just months later, and when her body was found in undergrowth police knew these murders were the work of the same man.
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Racing to catch the killer, the police identified as many as 68 rapes and sexual offences 1982 to 1986 they believed could have been committed by the same person.
Duffy, an unemployed carpenter from Kilburn, North London was eventually caught with a whole host of incriminating evidence at his home including knives and books on kidnapping techniques.
He was convicted of four rapes and two murders, but nothing more due to lack of evidence.
Then came nine years of silence before police managed to crack Duffy, who incriminated his childhood friend David Mulcahy as his murderous accomplice.
The two friends were bullied at school and developed sadistic streaks torturing animals before moving onto attacking women.
In court, Duffy said: “We would have balaclavas and knives. We used to call it hunting. We did it as a bit of a joke.”
With a DNA evidence match on their side police swooped to arrest Mulcahy in 1999 who remained smug and confident nothing could be proved.
Detective Inspector Mick Freeman was interviewing Mulcahy, and in the Channel 5 documentary he explains: “Throughout all the interviews he was extremely cocky and all I got for any question was ‘no comment’ all the way through.
“He thought we had nothing on him and he could walk out scot free again.
Det Insp Mick Freeman features in the documentary
“I asked him if he knew what DNA was and again he said, ‘no comment’.
“I then informed him his DNA had been found on an exhibit from a rape in Hampstead Heath in the early 80s.
“He started to gag and choke, he then threw up. It was the moment he realised he wasn’t going to wriggle
out of it any more.”
In February 2001 Mulcahy was found guilty of five rapes, five counts of conspiracy to rape and two murders, receiving three life sentences.
Duffy, who testified against his childhood friend in court, also received an extra 12 years in prison for his part.
The two remain in prison with no chance of parole.
To hear more about the investigation and prosecutions, and from those involved in the case, you can watch The Railway Killers at 9pm Wednesday (August 18) on Channel 5.
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