Family told father’s death will always remain a mystery
Son pays tribute to much-loved gardener who was missing for nearly a year
THE family of Glasgow father-offive John Murphy have been told they will never learn for sure how he came to die at a East Dunbartonshire beauty spot.
The 52-year-old’s body was formally identified last week, 11 months after he disappeared on his way to work from close to his home in Dennistoun.
But investigators admit they have no idea how Mr Murphy came to be in the park or what caused his death.
Their only firm conclusion is that the death – in Mugdock Park, Milngavie – was not suspicious.
Mr Murphy’s son, also John, said: “The police ruled out foul play pretty quickly. There were no signs of violence or anything that could have been used to hurt him.
“That was a relief because we know that nice people can suffer this way. But we still don’t know what happened to him and we are never going to know. His death was unascertainable. But based on what they have told us, we think he has taken ill.”
This was always the hope for the family after Mr Murphy was reported missing in May 2015 – that he had become unwell, and confused and wandered off.
He was under treatment for angina and had recently thought he had had a heart attack although it was a false alarm. Mr Murphy Jun said: “We always believed we would find him alive. We always thought we would find him out there. That is what kept us going; that and the number of people who were ready to help us.
“The only thing we could think of was that he had some kind of breakdown or memory loss. He had been in a hospital before he was missing. He was given some heart medicine and had got a real fright.
“But we will never know how he ended up in the park. As far as we know he did not know the area at all. The police say they will never know how he got there.
“The only thing is that you can get a bus from Duke Street that pretty much takes you out there. But we don’t know if he took a bus there.”
Mr Murphy leaves four other children Kelly, 26, Liam, 18; Shannon, 15; and Dylan, 13 and a widow, Patricia, 49.
His son, John, said: “He was also so happy. He was a really quiet man, really private. He loved his family, his club, Celtic and Pink Floyd.
“He was so loyal to his family and his friends, he had gone to Parkhead with the same pals for nearly 40 years. When I think of him when I was younger I always remember the times he was so happy, when my younger brothers and sisters were born or even when Celtic stopped Rangers winning 10-in-a-row. He was over the moon on all those occasions. He just loved us so much.”
Mr Murphy – who would have celebrated his 53rd birthday last Sunday – was a gardener in Easterhouse. After a lifetime in trades and building sites, said his son, he knew how to get on with people.
Mr Murphy Jun said: “He did a lot for people out there. In Easterhouse everybody knows him. He’s better known there than where we stay.”
That affection for their dad kept the Murphys going during a nearly year-long search. Mr Murphy said: “The search brought us a lot closer and has allowed us to meet some brilliant people, the people who have come out helping us. We wish we had met them under better circumstances. But it has been great getting to know some of them. We would very much like to thank them all.”
A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Dennistoun on Friday at 10am, to be followed by cremation at Maryhill Crematorium at 11.15am.