S2 Ep7: Michael Ryan, the perpetrator of The Hungerford Massacre

Devils in the Dark

Helen and Danni take a look at The Hungerford Massacre, a day of death and destruction that rocked the nation. The country went into a state of shock when, one morning, a lonely young man named Michael Ryan woke up and, seemingly on a whim, decided to murder as many people in the quaint English village of Hungerford as possible. It was a day that led to huge gun reform in the United Kingdom, but the horrors of what unfolded on the 19th of August, 1987 can still be felt to this day. Expect destruction on an enormous scale, the government actually doing something right for once, and the absolute worst journalist of all time.
Devils in The Dark contains graphic details of violence and mentions of suicide, and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.
00:00 - Introduction
07:20 - Who was Michael Ryan?
13:13 - The murder of Susan Godfrey
14:19 - Michael attempts murder at a petrol staton on the A4
15:35 - Michael loses it back at home
21:51 - The murder of Kenneth Clements
26:34 - The murder of PC Roger Brereton
28:05 - The murders of George White and Abdul Khan
37:39 - Officer Trevor Wainwright receives a harrowing phonecall
42:00 - The murders of Eric Vardy, Sandra Hill, Victor Gibbs and Myrtle Gibbs
42:37 - Michael Ryan heads to The John O’Gaunt Community College
45:08 - Michael Ryan takes his own life
52:56 - A perfect example of horrible journalism
57:00 - Gun reform in the UK
01:01:00 - Outro
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For updates on Devils in The Dark and all things true crime, head to @devilsinthedark on Instagram! You can also follow Helen Anderson at @helenanderz and Danni Howard at @thatdannihoward.
Special thanks to Woodcut Media.
Produced by Alexandra Jueno at Audioboom Studios.
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