Police are hunting the person responsible for the deaths of two men found stabbed in a flat in Glasgow’s Partick area, with detectives now treating the case as a double murder and appealing for information covering several days before the bodies were discovered.
A manhunt is under way after two men were found stabbed to death in a flat in Glasgow’s west end at the weekend. Paul Lafferty, 50, and Gary Beaton, 54, were found with serious injuries at a property on Chancellor Street, Partick, at around 4.40pm on Sunday, and were pronounced dead at the scene, Police Scotland confirmed. Following post-mortem examinations, officers are now treating the deaths as a double murder, rather than initially unexplained deaths, and have launched a large-scale investigation involving forensic teams and detectives.
The investigation so far
Detective Superintendent Cheryl Kelly, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, is leading the enquiry. She said: “My thoughts are with the families of Paul and Gary at this extremely difficult time and we are doing all we can to get them answers. Our investigation into the deaths of Paul and Gary are continuing and I would urgently appeal to anyone with information who has not already spoken with us to please do so. It is vital we trace whoever is responsible and we are fully committed to doing this.”
She added that significant resources had already been committed to the case: “A significant amount of resources have been dedicated to this investigation and there will be a large police presence in the area as these enquiries continue.”
Police have reportedly been searching drains and areas surrounding the property as part of their enquiries, suggesting detectives are looking for potential evidence or weapons connected with the deaths.
Appeal for information
Detective Superintendent Kelly issued a direct appeal to the public, urging anyone with relevant information to come forward, regardless of how minor it might seem. “I am appealing directly to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant they feel it may be, should come forward and speak to us. Please do not assume that the police already know the information you have,” she said.
Police are specifically keen to hear from anyone who was in the Partick area, near Chancellor Street, from 9am on Friday, 14 August, through to the discovery of the bodies on Sunday. Kelly said: “We are keen to hear from anyone who knew Paul and Gary or who were in the Partick area, near to Chancellor Street from Friday morning from 9am on 14 August, 2026, who seen Paul or Gary or seen or heard anything suspicious.”
The appeal extends beyond potential witnesses to the killings themselves; police want to hear from anyone who saw either man in the days leading up to their deaths, or who noticed anything suspicious around the property, underlining that the investigation is examining activity across several days rather than focusing solely on the afternoon the bodies were found.
Support for the families and local community
Specialist officers are providing support to both families as the investigation continues, police have confirmed. Superintendent Craig Brady said officers understood the killings would cause concern within the local community, and confirmed that additional patrols would remain in the Partick area while enquiries continue.
What remains unknown
At the time of the latest reports, police had not publicly identified a suspect or announced any arrests in connection with the killings. No motive has been publicly confirmed, and investigators have not established whether the two men were specifically targeted, or what relationship, if any, existed between them.
