23-06-2025
Scots woman 'tortured' by thought relatives knew more about mum's murder
Gina McGavin thinks others may have known more than they let on about the murder of her mother Mary McLaughlin.
The daughter of a woman murdered in her Glasgow flat more than 36 years ago has revealed she spent years believing members of her own family were involved – and said she may never know the full truth.
Gina McGavin, whose mother Mary McLaughlin, 58, was found dead in her Partick home in 1984, said: 'I've been tortured by thoughts that a close member of my family knew more about my mother's murder than they ever let on.'
Mary's murder was unsolved for more than 30 years until a DNA breakthrough led detectives to the murderer. But Gina says the official version of events doesn't answer all her questions and key people who might have shed light on what happened are dead.
Gina is telling her story in a new book out next month – not just about the crime, but about the emotional wreckage it left behind. In My Mother's Murder she reveals her suspicions about who might have been involved.
Gina said: 'It's not a whodunit. I know who the police say did it. But there are things I still don't understand.'
The book tells the story not just of the night Mary was killed, but of the woman she was – someone whose life was hard, complicated and often hidden behind closed doors. It also charts Gina's long and painful journey through grief, suspicion and years of feeling as if nobody cared about her mother's death.
She describes growing up in a family that didn't talk about Mary abandoning two families and where asking questions was not welcome. Gina added: 'From day one, I knew something wasn't right but I was told to keep quiet, not to make trouble.'
Mary's body was discovered by her son Martin Cullen. The mum-of-11 had spent her last night alive drinking and playing dominoes in the Hyndland Pub and had been joined by daughter Kathleen.
Mary was last seen leaving the bar to walk along Dumbarton Road where she stopped at Armando's chip shop for fritters and cigarettes. In a sexually-motivated attack, Mary was strangled. Her killer covered her with a green dress.
Sex offender Graham McGill was arrested and charged with her murder. The convicted rapist had been on temporary home leave from prison. But Gina said the court result, while welcome, didn't bring her closure: 'I felt there was still something missing.'
In the book she makes it clear she thinks others may have known more than they let on. Over the years, she built a file of notes, questions and observations – many of which pointed to secrets in her family.
Gina turned to former Record crime reporter Jane Hamilton to help bring her story to the public. Hamilton said the book was one of the most difficult stories she's written.
She added: 'Gina didn't just lose her mum. She lost a sense of safety, of family, of trust. And she's been living with that for decades.'
