Detective piecing together the final movements of murdered Dundee mother Mary McLaren appeal to students and clubbers for information on her last hours in the city.
The mother-of-three had been on a night out with her sister Michelle on Wednesday, February 24, before she disappeared after leaving Fat Sam’s nightclub in the company of a man in the early hours of the following morning.
Wednesdays are traditionally student nights at Fat Sam’s and last night police appealed to clubbers — and the student community in particular — who were in the area that night to get in touch with any information, however “insignificant” they might regard it.
Mary’s body was found in a copse on an embankment above the busy Ladywell roundabout on North Marketgait last Wednesday — a fortnight after she vanished.
After being examined in situ by forensic officers, the body was removed and a post-mortem on Friday revealed she had been murdered. The embankment remains cordoned off with blue sheeting around the area and further forensic work is expected to take place at the scene today.
Detective Inspector Kevin McMahon said it may be some time before officers complete their investigations, and that specialist equipment may have to be brought in to help in the search as officers comb higher and less accessible areas of the embankment for clues as to how she died.
DI McMahon said officers were still trying to establish a full picture of Mary’s last known movements and again asked revellers for help.
Inquiries have so far established that Mary and the man — who was identified following press appeals and continues to assist with inquiries — were in North Lindsay Street, Bell Street, Irvine’s Square and King Street in East Marketgait.
Last night DI McMahon said it was imperative that anyone who saw Mary (34) on the night of February 24 gets in touch.
“I would appeal to anybody with any sightings of Mary with a male to come forward or to anyone who has seen anybody acting suspiciously in that area at that time.
“We are still trying to piece together every part of the route (she took) and anyone with a sighting, or anything to offer the investigation, should come forward.
“No matter how insignificant the information may seem, I’d rather people came forward and let us decide whether it is insignificant.
“We are working to trace people who were at Fat Sam’s that night and in the nightclubs in the city centre. Traditionally it has been a student night on a Wednesday night.
“We’ve had a good response (from partygoers) but we still feel there are other people who may have been to the club, or were in the environs of the club, who may have information for us.”
More heartfelt tributes were yesterday placed on a page on the social networking site Bebo, set up to remember Mary.
The site features two poems in memory of the gran-to-be and yesterday several emotional Mother’s Day tributes were added.
One dedication by Mandi Harper read, “Special heart for you on Mother’s Day. R.I.P. This is so unfair, you should be with the kids today. My thoughts are with them all today.”
Prayers were also said during a Mothering Sunday mass yesterday at St Vincent’s Catholic Church.
It serves the Linlathen area where Mary lived with her husband Scott, pregnant daughter Sarah-Jane (17) and sons Aaron (14) and 10-year-old Dylan.
Father Vincent Coyne told The Courier that Mary had been remembered in the congregation’s prayers at the service.
“We always pray-with differing intentions-for people at mass on Sunday and it was within our prayers,” he said.
“I know some of the family but I don’t know the lady or her husband or her children. Obviously it is a very hard time for the family and I suppose it will not really have sunk in for them yet.”
Anyone with information that can help police should call 0300 111 2222 or speak to any officer.