Learn about the Mary McLaughlin murder case, Graham McGill’s sentence, and key evidence.
Her body was found in 1984. Her son, Martin Cullen, found Mary’s body in her Glasgow flat on October 2, 1984. Police made progress in the case in 2014.
Mary was lying on a mattress, her dress on backwards. On September 27, she went to a local pub with friends; this was the night she died.
She left the pub after 10 pm. Her flat was less than a mile away. She bought snacks and cigarettes at a chip shop on Dumbarton Road.
Mary was last seen on September 26, leaving the Hyndland Pub. A witness saw a man following her, police learned this during the investigation.
Mary was strangled with a dressing gown cord. Police confirmed this five days later. There were no signs of forced entry that night.
The case went cold for a long time. Police collected over 1,000 statements. New DNA tech helped in 2014, allowing deeper forensic testing.
Early tests found 11 DNA markers, but the new tests found 24. Scientists tested old samples, including hair and nails.
A cigarette butt in Mary’s flat’s ashtray caught the police’s eye; she did not usually smoke that brand. The butt went off for testing.
It produced a “direct match” to Graham McGill, a serial sex offender then in prison in Edinburgh, serving a sentence leading to a minimum of 14 years.
McGill’s DNA was on the cord and the butt. He seemed to have a perfect alibi. An officer wondered how he could commit murder while in prison.
Police found McGill was on “Training for Freedom,” which allowed him to go home on weekends. McGill was 22 at the time of the killing.
In April 2021, McGill was convicted of murder and got a minimum of 14 years. A parole board will assess the risk he poses and decide if he is free to be released.
Lord Burns made a statement during sentencing, noting the long wait for the family, who wanted to learn what happened to Mary. The family never gave up hope.
The police and biologists showed his guilt. The encounter allowed McGill to take advantage of Mary, who was vulnerable, possibly drunk, and unable to defend herself in her own home.
The BBC Two show, “Murder Case: The Hunt for Mary McLaughlin’s Killer,” airs on Wednesday at 9 pm. Original investigators, Police Scotland detectives, and forensic experts reveal how they cracked the case in the documentary.