Junkie police killer found dead in flat

Feb 21 2008

A MAN who murdered a Lanarkshire police officer has been found dead.

Hugh Murray’s body was discovered at his house in Stonehouse.

The 41-year-old drug addict lived alone in a flat at the address.

He had served 21 years for the slaying of Detective Sergeant Ross Hunt.

DS Hunt was knifed to death in June, 1983, after going to Murray’s family home in Earn Gardens, Larkhall.

Murray, then 16, was sentenced to be detained without limit of time for the killing.

His father, 51-year-old Hugh Murray, and married sister Margaret Smith (23) were also jailed for life for murdering the 56-year-old police officer.

Murray (junior) was released from jail in December, 2004, and moved to Patrickholm Avenue, Stonehouse, in September last year.

His body was found earlier this month by his wife Helen (56), from whom he was separated.

She had decided to call on her husband shortly after midnight on February 7, following a night out in Glasgow.

She knocked on the door and could get no answer, but through a window she saw Murray in an armchair.

Mrs Murray, who lives in Strathaven, found that the door was open and entered to find Murray apparently unconscious.

Paramedics were called but Murray, who had acquired a drug habit while in prison, was found to be dead.

Police say the cause of death has not yet been ascertained, although it is not at this stage believed to be suspicious.

Toxicology tests are being carried out to discover whether the death was drug related.

DS Hunt was only three months away from completing a 30-year career, after twice opting to extend his distinguished service.

Accompanied by three colleagues, he had gone to the Murray home to arrest the teenage Murray for knifing a youth outside a Larkhall pub.

During a three-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow, the jury heard how fighting began when Murray’s father lunged at DS Hunt. Murray junior then grabbed one or two kitchen knives and attacked DS Hunt after he had fallen.

Smith and her father were said to have hit the detective with poles and kicked him as he lay bleeding in the front garden of the Murrays’ home.

Murray junior was also sentenced to seven years for the attempted murder of Detective Constable Duncan Nicholson and a further two years for the serious knife attack on Alexander Matusavage (17), of Kenshaw Avenue, Larkhall. It was the attack on Matusavage that led detectives to the Murray’s home on June 5.

Brothers James Murray (28) and William Murray (20) were cleared of murdering DS Hunt. James Murray was cleared of attempting to murder DC Nicholson but jailed for three years for assaulting him to his severe injury.

William Murray and his mother Jean (49) were cleared of all charges.

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