A sister-in-law of convicted murderer Frank McCann has described how he attempted to “dupe” the family and others around him afer he killed his wife and child, and said he should not be released from prison. McCann killed his wife, Esther, and their 18-month-old foster child, Jessica, who was also his niece, by setting their home on fire on September 4th, 1992. Elizabeth Shorten, sister-in-law of McCann, described him as an “evil” psychopath, who had a twisted mind and “no moral gauge”. However, detectives began to focus on a decision by the Adoption Board to refuse the McCann’s application to adopt Jessica. A woman had contacted the Adoption Board on April 17th, 1991, alleging McCann had fathered a child with her 17-year-old daughter.

Source: The Irish Times March 23, 2021 18:40 UTC