The Search For Truth

The Search For Truth

The disappearance and death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe in Belfast has left questions that continue to command attention.


Investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre and Forensic Physician Jason Payne-James examine the case in detail. Its timeline, the evidence, the circumstances surrounding Noah’s disappearance and the questions that remain.


The series features exclusive interviews with Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, funeral directors and others connected to the events surrounding the case.


Follow the investigation, watch full episodes and interviews, and hear from those with first-hand knowledge of Noah’s story.


New episodes out every Monday and Thursday.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00
00:00

Episode's summary

What did the Noah Donohoe inquest establish? And what could it not explain? In our Episode 11 finale, we examine the jury's verdict, 13 PSNI investigative failings and the questions that remain. Noah Donohoe was 14 when he disappeared in Belfast on 21st June 2020. The inquest jury concluded that he died by drowning in a storm drain that Sunday evening. It identified police investigative failings which affected its ability to reach conclusions, but found that police errors did not contribute to his death. Donal MacIntyre and forensic physician Professor Jason Payne-James revisit the timeline, CCTV, the search of the culvert and the forensic questions. The episode includes a recorded statement from Fiona Donohoe's solicitor, Niall Murphy, and the PSNI's response. Produced By: Emporium Productions & Dare Films Ireland Presented By: Donal MacIntyre & Jason Payne-James Executive Producers: Emma Read and Donal MacIntyre Produced by: Kathy Hale Filmed and Edited at: Run VT - https://www.runvt.tv/ Facebook:…

Episodes

11-

Noah Donohoe Episode 11: The Inquest

What did the Noah Donohoe inquest establish? And what could it not explain? In our Episode 11 finale, we examine the jury's verdict, 13 PSNI investigative failings and the questions that remain. Noah Donohoe was 14 when he disappeared in Belfast on 21st June 2020. The inquest jury concluded that he died by drowning in a storm drain that Sunday evening. It identified police investigative failings which affected its ability to reach conclusions, but found that police errors did not contribute to his death. Donal MacIntyre and forensic physician Professor Jason Payne-James revisit the timeline, CCTV, the search of the culvert and the forensic questions. The episode includes a recorded statement from Fiona Donohoe's solicitor, Niall Murphy, and the PSNI's response. Produced By: Emporium Productions & Dare Films Ireland Presented By: Donal MacIntyre & Jason Payne-James Executive Producers: Emma Read and Donal MacIntyre Produced by: Kathy Hale Filmed and Edited at: Run VT - https://www.runvt.tv/ Facebook:…

15 Oct 2026
10-

Noah Donohoe Episode 10: The Late Night Walkabout

Welcome back to Noah Donohoe: The Search For Truth. In episode 10, we examine CCTV showing Noah leaving his Belfast home in the early hours of 21st June 2020 and returning just over half an hour later, barefoot and without the flip-flops and headphones he had taken with him. Donal MacIntyre and Professor Jason Payne-James examine the unanswered questions surrounding Noah’s late-night walk, why the footage was not viewed by police until 2022, what might have been learned had it been examined at the time, and Fiona Donohoe’s call to police when Noah failed to return home later that day. Note: This episode was recorded before the inquest jury returned its findings on 15th September 2026. Produced By: Emporium Productions & Dare Films Ireland Presented By: Donal MacIntyre & Jason Payne-James Executive Producers: Emma Read and Donal MacIntyre Produced by: Kathy Hale Filmed and Edited at: Run VT - https://www.runvt.tv/ Facebook: http://facebook.com/SearchForTruthPod YouTube: @TheSearchForTruthPod Produced By:…

12 Oct 2026
9-

Noah Donohoe Episode 9: The Injection Claim

Welcome back to Noah Donohoe: The Search For Truth. In Episode 9, we examine claims that Noah Donohoe was attacked and injected with drugs before his belongings were taken, and how those allegations were investigated. Donal MacIntyre and Professor Jason Payne-James examine the statement Maria Nolan gave to KRW Law in December 2020, the later account of an anonymised witness known as Cipher 55, and the PSNI response. They also consider the medical evidence, including toxicology, the absence of an identified injection site at post-mortem, and whether drugs could account for Noah’s behaviour. Content note: This episode discusses allegations of assault and drug administration involving a child. Follow Noah Donohoe: The Search For Truth for the next episode. Produced By: Emporium Productions & Dare Films Ireland Presented By: Donal MacIntyre & Professor Jason Payne-James Executive Producers: Emma Read and Donal Macintyre Produced by: Kathy Hale Filmed and Edited at: Run VT - https://www.runvt.tv/ Follow us on:…

08 Oct 2026
8-

Noah Donohoe Episode 8: What Happened to Noah's Rucksack?

Welcome back to Noah Donohoe: The Search For Truth. In episode 8, we follow one of the central unanswered questions in Noah Donohoe’s disappearance: what happened to the rucksack he was carrying when he left home on 21st June 2020? Donal MacIntyre and Professor Jason Payne-James examine the CCTV sequence showing Noah with the rucksack before he entered an obscured walkway, and later without it. They trace the rucksack and laptop through accounts, including a visit to Cash Converters, calls to the PSNI, the search of Daryl Paul’s flat, and the eventual recovery of the laptop at Queen’s Quarter, opposite Fiona and Noah’s home. Produced By: Emporium Productions & Dare Films Ireland Presented By: Donal MacIntyre & Professor Jason Payne-James Executive Producers: Emma Read and Donal Macintyre Produced by: Kathy Hale Filmed and Edited at: Run VT - https://www.runvt.tv/ Follow us on: Facebook: http://facebook.com/SearchForTruthPod YouTube: @TheSearchForTruthPod #NoahDonohoe #TheSearchForTruth…

05 Oct 2026
7-

Noah Donohoe Episode 7: Naked and Afraid

Why did Noah Donohoe remove his clothes before he disappeared on Sunday 21 June 2020? Donal MacIntyre and Jason Payne-James examine the PSNI theory that a fall from Noah’s bicycle may have caused a head injury or concussion that could explain his later behaviour. This episode retraces the fall at York Road and North Queen Street, witness accounts, the condition of Noah’s cycle helmet, the green North Face jacket left behind, gaps in available CCTV and the recovery of Noah’s mobile phone. It also examines an image recorded on the phone at about 6:51pm which is said to show the hand of an unknown person. We ask why that image was judged to have no evidential value and why no fingerprint or DNA examination was carried out on the phone. Follow the series as we examine the unanswered questions around Noah’s disappearance and death. #NoahDonohoe #TheSearchForTruth #Belfast #TrueCrimePodcast Produced By: Emporium Productions & Dare Films Ireland Presented By: Donal MacIntyre & Jason Payne-James Filmed and Edited…

01 Oct 2026