A MAN awaiting trial for the murder of an elderly neighbour has been

found dead in his cell at Greenock Prison. The mystery surrounding the

murder of pensioner Mrs Nan Quinn, 77, may now never be solved.

Detectives had assembled a substantial case against Mr Thomas Byrne,

40, Mrs Quinn's close neighbour in flats at Violet Grove, George Street,

Dunoon. Mr Byrne hanged himself just before noon yesterday.

An unemployed loner who did odd jobs around the Argyll town, he had a

lengthy record of violence and dishonesty. He received a seven-year

sentence for a stabbing in Aberdeen and had spent much of his adult life

in and out of prisons. It is understood that forensic tests revealed no

apparent sexual motive for Mrs Quinn's killing. Police had considerable

evidence pointing towards Mr Byrne yet what the precise motive was for

the murder apparently remained unclear.

Robbery or extortion were the two most likely theories and detectives

were continuing their investigation in an attempt to piece together the

circumstances surrounding the killing.

There will be an internal prison inquiry into Mr Byrne's death with

the possibility that the procurator fiscal at Greenock may order a fatal

accident inquiry.

An inquiry is also a possibility into the death of Mrs Quinn whose

body was discovered in December beside a track on the east shore of Loch

Striven, 14 miles south of Dunoon.

A council roadman, working alone on drainage maintenance, found her

body under an old carpet among bracken in a sparsely populated area.

Mrs Quinn, who was last seen leaving a carers' meeting at a Baptist

hall in Dunoon on November 2, had been missing for six weeks.

She had planned to visit her elderly husband, James, an Alzheimer's

sufferer, at Finnert More Nursing Home, but never arrived. An active

member of the local senior citizens' group, her death caused widespread

shock throughout the close Cowal community.

Forensic examination showed that the slightly-built woman had been

subjected to violence. She was still wearing jewellery when found.

A team of 30 Strathclyde police officers, headed by Detective Chief

Inspector Jeanette Joyce of Dumbarton CID, were involved in the murder

hunt after the discovery of the body.

Mrs Quinn's daughter, Mrs Ann Rayner, travelled from Hampshire to

identify the body.

Mr Byrne was arrested three days later and appeared before Sheriff

Alistair Noble at Dunoon charged with murder the following day. He was

remanded in custody.