Casepin
Back to cases

Active case

Killing of Mary Gallagher

UNSOLVED1879Griffintown, Montreal, Quebec, Canada2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:Montreal - Scene of the Gallagher Murder, William Street.jpg
File:Montreal - Scene of the Gallagher Murder, William Street.jpg — Credit: Canadian illustrated news, 12 juillet 1879 · Public domain

Mary Gallagher was an Irish-Canadian woman living in the 19th century in Griffintown, a then Irish-dominant neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec. On 27 June 1879, Gallagher was killed via decapitation in Griffintown.

In the years since her death, Mary Gallagher has become a significant figure in Montreal folklore. Persistent local legend holds that her spirit haunts the Griffintown area, and this ghost story has continued into the present day, generating ongoing public and media interest in her case long after the events of 1879.

No individuals have been named as charged, convicted, acquitted, or exonerated in connection with Mary Gallagher's death based on the material reviewed.

Key facts

Victims
Mary Gallagher
Date
1879
Location
Griffintown, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1879-06-27

    Mary Gallagher is killed via decapitation in Griffintown, Montreal, Quebec.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Mary Gallagher

    VICTIM

    19th-century Irish-Canadian woman killed by decapitation in Griffintown, Montreal, on 27 June 1879.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:Montreal - Scene of the Gallagher Murder, William Street.jpg

    crime scene press

    File:Montreal - Scene of the Gallagher Murder, William Street.jpg

    Credit: Canadian illustrated news, 12 juillet 1879 · Public domain · Source

Places

Griffintown, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

45.4937, -73.5621

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Mary Gallagher, a 19th-century Irish-Canadian woman, was killed by decapitation in the Griffintown neighbourhood of Montreal on 27 June 1879.
Where did the killing happen?
Griffintown, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Quebec

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Mary GallagherWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — concordia.caconcordia.ca · 2026-07-10