Daughter of Murdered Glasgow Mum Feared a Hidden Killer in Her Family for Decades

Glasgow: The story of Mary McLaughlin is heartbreaking. Her daughter, Gina, spent years wondering if a family member was involved in her mother’s murder. Mary was killed in 1984, and it took 35 years to find her killer.

Mary was a mother of 11. She was strangled in her flat, and her body was discovered six days later. The police didn’t catch the murderer until a DNA breakthrough in 2019 led them to Graham McGill, a convicted rapist.

Gina always felt uneasy. She thought someone close to her mother might be responsible. She told the police her suspicions, but they couldn’t prove anything. It was a tough journey for her.

Her brother, Martin, who found their mother’s body, also felt the weight of suspicion. He wondered if it could have been one of his siblings. It’s a heavy burden to carry.

Mary was last seen happy, playing dominoes at a pub. She sometimes invited people back home after a few drinks. The case haunted the original investigating officer, who still thinks about it years later.

McGill bragged about his crime, thinking he’d gotten away with it. But in 2019, DNA evidence finally caught up with him. He was sentenced to life in prison, but Gina still feels there are unanswered questions.

She believes someone else might have played a part in her mother’s death. The search for answers continues, even as the documentary about Mary’s case airs on BBC Scotland.