My old mum was murdered 33 years ago For 33 years her killer’s been on the run. For 33 years I’ve thought of nothing else
SON REVEALS TORMENT AS HE HOPES FOR BREAKTHROUGH IN CASE Cops are still hunting beast who strangled Mary Ann in 1984
The son of a woman killed in one of Scotland’s longest unsolved murders says he has thought about the case every day for the last 33 years.
Martin Cullen was just 24 when he found his mum Mary Ann McLaughlin dead in 1984 after forcing his way into her flat.
The 57-year- old has spoken for the first time about the trauma of discovering Mary Ann lying on her bed in her Glasgow home.
And he is desperat e for detectives to get the breakthrough that will lead them to the murderer.
Martin, a dad of two from Whiteinch, Glasgow, said: “All that I want is the person caught.
“This has been preying on my mind since 1984 and that’s way too long. It never goes away.
“I found my mum and then had to go to the city mortuary to identify her body. I was only 24. It was the most f r ightening day of my life.”
Mary, 58, a mum of six girls and five boys, was found in her f lat in the city’s Partick on October 2, 1984.
She had been strangled and her body had lain for six days before Martin forced his way into the house at Crathie Court.
Recalling the day he found his mum, he said: “I stayed in Ayrshire at the time but would go to visit her every week or so.
“I went to the door of her flat and I suspected something was wrong with the smell coming from inside the house.
“I kicked the door in and went inside with my then partner. We found her lying on the bed.
“I just panicked and ran out and phoned for an ambulance.
“They arrived and then the police came shortly afterwards. But we had no reason to suspect my mum had been murdered. I just felt pure shock.
“I believe whoever attacked her may have been waiting out of sight in her bedroom.
“Later that night, police took me to the mortuary.
“The strange thing was the door of the flat had a mortice lock and was locked. The key has never been found as far as I know.
“The police appeared to be very thorough but just couldn’t get that breakthrough.”
Mary was last seen alive on Wednesday, September 26, 1984, when she left the Hyndland Bar and walked along D umb ar t o n Road to the local chip shop, Armandos.
Witnesses told how Mary was in a good mood that night and was laughing and joking with staff.
She a lways asked them to say goodnight to her in Italian.
About 10 0 yards from the chip shop, she was spotted with a young man and they were seen walking on Crow Road. The man was never traced and it was the last time Mary was seen alive.
The cause of her death was stated as “ligature strangulation”.
Despite extensive inquiries, which saw police take hundreds of statements, no one was ever charged with the killing.
A bra which may have belonged to Mary was discovered in her back garden three days after she was found.
It is not known if the item was the murder weapon and there was no evidence of any sexual assault.
No clear motive has ever been established.
Martin believes his mum’s killer may have lain in wait in her bedroom before attacking her. Police last