Glasgow Unsolved Murders: Families Demand Answers in New Podcast Series
A powerful new podcast series is shining a light on the tragic and unresolved murders of several women involved in prostitution in Glasgow, with grieving families now pushing forcefully for long-overdue answers about why their loved ones' killers have never been brought to justice.
Decades of Unresolved Grief
The Beware Book podcast, produced by Rayo, has conducted extensive interviews with relatives of women who were killed in the city's red light district during the 1990s and early 2000s. The series examines eight deaths from this period, four of which remain officially unsolved by police authorities.
One family member told the podcast investigators that she believes the police approach to these murder investigations has been fundamentally "corrupt", with officers deliberately avoiding pursuit of what she described as the "big fish" potentially involved in these crimes.
The Case of Diane McInally
The inaugural episode, released on Monday, focuses specifically on the 1991 murder of 23-year-old Diane McInally, whose body was discovered in Pollok Park. Although two men were initially charged with her murder, both were subsequently released due to insufficient evidence, leaving the case in legal limbo.
The podcast features emotional interviews with Diane's aunt Elizabeth Glover (known as Dolly) and cousin Shirley Waters, both of whom expressed profound distrust in police efforts to find her killer. "They're all corrupt. It's all corruption, I think," Shirley stated bluntly. "They'll choose the crimes they want to pursue and whatever. They don't go for the big fish."
Elizabeth Glover remembered her niece as a "lovely mother" who "went down the wrong road" over time. She offered a sobering historical perspective, suggesting that "probably the prostitutes in the 50s, 60s, were safer than the ones now."
Significantly, the McInally family revealed that Diane had been scheduled to give evidence in a court case at the time of her murder. She is believed to have been working in Glasgow's Gorbals area when she was killed.
Podcast Origins and Context
The podcast derives its distinctive name from an actual journal that was used by women involved in sex work to warn each other about potentially dangerous or suspicious clients—a grassroots safety measure that highlights the perilous environment these women navigated daily.
This investigative series emerges in the wake of Iain Packer's conviction for the 2005 murder of Emma Caldwell, a case that took nearly two decades to resolve. The families featured in the podcast report that they have received no contact from Police Scotland regarding their loved ones' cases, despite repeated appeals for information.
In addition to Diane McInally, the unresolved cases include:
- Karen McGregor
- Leona McGovern
- Jacqueline Gallagher
Police Response and Ongoing Investigations
A Police Scotland spokesperson addressed the concerns raised by families, stating: "We do acknowledge the pain and the distress suffered by the families. We'd like to reassure those victims and their families that we haven't forgotten about you or your loved ones. There should be regular contact with families and if that's not the case, we want to rectify that."
The force has explicitly confirmed that these cases are not considered closed, maintaining that investigations remain active despite the passage of time.
The first two episodes of Beware Book became available on March 23 through multiple platforms including the Rayo app, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other major streaming services.
