Some discoveries change your day; others change your life. For a Scottish mother Maryann Taylor, a quick check on her dog camera during a holiday in the Dominican Republic led her to discover something devastating. What she thought would be a simple moment to see how her dogs were doing instead revealed the unimaginable—her son, Craig, had died!
Maryann Taylor, 52, was abroad last September when she checked her home security footage to check on her dogs. But instead of reassurance, she noticed something troubling. Her two dogs were acting strangely. It prompted her to contact one of her son Craig’s friends to check on the house.
Tragically, Craig, who would have turned 31 on March 27, was found dead on the kitchen floor. His friend saw his lifeless body through the window and called the police. It is believed Craig had been alone for hours before being discovered.
I found out my son had died when I was on holiday and checking the cameras for my dog… He’d been dead for hours https://t.co/1s18zreUVJ
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) March 23, 2025
Maryann lives with a heart condition and arthritis. She said the traumatic discovery has left her unable to escape the painful memories. Every day, she walks past the room where her son died and she struggles with flashbacks that haunt her nights.
“The first thing I do in the morning is pass by his empty bedroom,” she told the Daily Record. “Then I go into the room where he died and was left for hours on his own. While I’m trapped in this house, I can barely get through a day.”
Since Craig’s passing, Maryann has been desperately seeking a new council home. That would be a place where she won’t constantly be reminded of her son’s death. She has asked Edinburgh Council for a property with a garden for her two dogs and enough space for her daughter and carer to visit.
However, she claims the properties offered so far have been unsuitable which further leaves her in limbo. “I’m disabled. I have a heart condition and arthritis. My lifeline is my two dogs, and I need a house with a garden for them,” she explained. “Living in a flat with stairs isn’t an option. I can’t go up the stairs, and there’s nowhere for the dogs to go.”
She hasn’t hold back on efforts. But Maryann says she feels abandoned by the system. With the support of her MSP, Alex Cole-Hamilton, she is fighting for suitable accommodation.
Her GP has also written a letter to the council that details the toll Craig’s death has taken on her mental health. The letter states that Maryann is battling severe anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. A home with no stairs, a bath to ease her physical pain, and outdoor space for her dogs has been recommended.
Cole-Hamilton has called Maryann’s case one of the most devastating he’s come across and vowed to work with the council to find a resolution. “I just feel that the system is broken,” Maryann said.
Police Scotland confirmed they are investigating Craig’s death, which currently stands as classified as unexplained. “Around 12.30 pm on Sunday, 29 September 2024, we received a report of the death of a 30-year-old man in a property in the Cotlaws area of Kirkliston,” a spokesperson said. “A report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”
As she awaits answers and a new place to call home, Maryann says her grief is unbearable. “I’m so tired of fighting. It’s hard to believe it’s taken me this long to break down.”
