After searching through various documents and records, police discovered that McGill had been TTF, Training for Freedom, at the time of Mary's murder - this meant he was allowed to go home on the weekends.
Despite finding McGill’s DNA on both the cigarette butt and Mary’s dressing gown cord, Former Det Sgt Kenny McCubbin explained: "He's got the perfect alibi.
During the sentencing, Lord Burns made the following statement: ‘’36 years after the death of Mary McLaughlin, you have been convicted of her murder.
BBC Two’s Murder Case: The Hunt for Mary McLaughlin’s Killer will air on Wednesday, February 19 at 9 pm.
Mary’s body was tragically discovered in 1984, however, it wasn’t until 2014 that police were finally able to make a breakthrough in the case.
