Graham McGill sentenced to 14 years for murder of Mary McLaughlin in Glasgow
A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to a minimum of 14 years for the murder of Mary McLaughlin who was killed in Glasgow in 1984.
Graham McGill was arrested on Wednesday, 4 December, 2019, following a case review by officers from Police Scotland’s Homicide Governance Review Team. He was found guilty by a unanimous verdict on 9 April 2021.
Mary McLaughlin was last seen in the company of a man in the Partick area of Glasgow on Wednesday, 26 September, 1984. She was never seen alive again and was found dead in her home, in Laurel Street, six days later.
The post mortem examination established Mary had been strangled and her death had occurred at least five days prior to when she was found. Despite extensive enquiries being carried out at the time, no-one was ever identified as being responsible for Mary’s death and family members were denied justice for their loved one.
Detective Superintendent Suzanne Chow said: “Despite crimes occurring years ago, there is always hope of solving them one day, they are never forgotten. Mary’s family has waited a long time for justice and I hope today’s verdict provides some form of resolution for them. It is fitting to know that despite the passage of time, justice has finally been served. In all case reviews, families are uppermost in our minds and we work hard to present the best evidential case to ensure successful convictions.”
DNA has proved to be a powerful tool in the fight against crime. During the case review, a number of items from the original investigation were identified for priority examination. Unidentified samples taken at the time of the murder, were re-examined and they matched Graham McGill.
SPA Forensic Scientist Joanne Cochrane said: "The SPA Forensic Services Cold Case Review Team carried out a full forensic review of this case which identified a number of items for further DNA analysis using the very latest technologies available. This analysis resulted in finding DNA attributable to Graham McGill on several items, including a cigarette end, the ligature around Mary McLaughlin’s neck, and on the dress she had been wearing."
McGill did not feature in the 1984 investigation. Officers then discovered that McGill had been on weekend release from prison at the time Mary was murdered. Over the coming months, officers re-examined paperwork, revisited several original witnesses at the time and utilised updated technology to gather the evidence needed to arrest Graham McGill.
On Wednesday, 4 December, 2019, the investigation culminated in the arrest of Graham McGill. He was arrested and charged in connection with the death of Mary McLaughlin and at the High Court in Glasgow he was finally been held to account.
