NEWSPAPERS

“A Most Unusual Shooting”

published in The Hamilton Spectator Sept. 28, 1994.

On Feb. 13, 1991, Mark McAvoy died of a single shotgun blast to the throat.

His mother, Phyllis, did not believe police when they told her he had killed himself. She

phoned The Spectator where I worked as a crime reporter and asked me to investigate.

Two police photographs convinced me to pursue this story for five years: one

showed the 12-gauge pump action shotgun in the hand of her dead son, the other photo

showed a police officer (same height and build as the victim) unable to place the gun under his chin.

After writing more than 40 stories, I was able to uncover a homicide disposed of by the courts as suicide, raise several questions about the original probe and help in having the case re-opened, prompting an inquest that, in 1996, delivered the homicide finding.

Two years later, 10 days after she was diagnosed as having a brain tumour, Phyllis McAvoy told me: “I feel I’ve done what I set out to do.”

She died May 3, 1998, after a battle with cancer.

I am so proud to have been part of her life and her mission to tell the truth about her son.


				james arthur holt *NEWSPAPERS*



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		“A Most Unusual Shooting” published in The Hamilton Spectator Sept. 28, 1994. On Feb. 13, 1991, Mark McAvoy died of a single shotgun blast to the throat. His mother, Phyllis, did not believe police when they told her he had killed himself. She phoned The Spectator where I worked as a crime reporter and asked me to investigate. Two police photographs convinced me to pursue this story for five years: one showed the 12-gauge pump action shotgun in the hand of her dead son, the other photo showed a police officer (same height and build as the victim) unable to place the gun under his chin. After writing more than 40 stories, I was able to uncover a homicide disposed of by the courts as suicide, raise several questions about the original probe and help in having the case re-opened, prompting an inquest that, in 1996, delivered the homicide finding. Two years later, 10 days after she was diagnosed as having a brain tumour, Phyllis McAvoy told me: “I feel I’ve done what I set out to do.” She died May 3, 1998, after a battle with cancer. I am so proud to have been part of her life and her mission to tell the truth about her son. Photo Credit: Glen Lowson Graphic Credit: Mike Baldwin



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