End of text box. For 8% of victims in solved cases the motive was a feud or faction rivalry, this is similar to the last ten years (9%). In the period 2011-12 to 2020-21, 85% of all female victims were killed in a dwelling, compared with 54% of males. For a further 31% of victims during this 10 year period the motive was unknown (Table 11). Over half (51%) of female victims aged between 16 and 70 years old were killed by their partner or ex-partner, 27% were killed by an acquaintance, 11% were killed by a relative and 7% were killed by a stranger. In 2019-20, Glasgow City had the highest number of homicide cases (12), representing 19% of the Scottish total (Table 2). McPhee, a Glasgow gangland figure, died from a single shot to the head from a sniper in Maryhill. This bulletin presents statistics on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2020-21. Three cannons and a wooden hull remain, but archaeologists have failed to find out the story behind the sunken ship. Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. Table 9 shows that between 2010-11 and 2019-20, a total of 35 children under the age of 16 years were victims of homicide (where there was an accused person). Blue was found outside his home in Glasgows west end with head injuries, and died in hospital. Cases where the main accused and main victim were both female accounted for just 3% of the total number. Renee, who was 36, was separated but she left her oldest son with her husband Gordon, before travelling south on the A9 towards Perth - apparently to visit her sister. Of the 64 cases of homicide recorded for 2019-20. The second most common set of circumstances are an unknown motive with partner or ex-partner in a dwelling, accounting for a further 13% of female victims. Veronica answers the door. Smith fled Scotland after the trial and died in New York in 1928 under the pseudonym Lena Sheehy. The latest publication for 2018-19 reported that homicide in England & Wales fell for the first time since 2014-15, which itself followed a similar long term decrease to Scotland. Eight accused persons (11%) were reported to have been neither under the influence of alcohol nor drugs at the time of the homicide (Table 15). Statistical bulletin on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2018-2019. One area where some general comparisons can be made are the broad trends in changes over time between Scotland and England & Wales, though still allowing for the caveats outlined above. For example whilst the data for 2020-21 are not yet available, the Office for National Statistics (. The relationship to the main accused was unknown in the remaining 5% of cases. He added: "A category A murder is one of grave public concern, for example, the murder of a child or a politician. So what is going on? However, there have been 20 category A cases which are "of grave public concern or where vulnerable members of the public are at risk, where the identity of the offender(s) is not apparent, or the investigation and the securing of evidence requires significant resource allocation". Sibbald vanished after telling his wife he was meeting business associates. You have the Crown with a well-organised homicide unit and taking much more involvement in the day-to-day running and direction of these inquiries and whether they think the police have done enough.". The people of Tayport raised money and he was buried in the village, where community representatives pay their respects once a year. The Court of Appeal ordered a fresh trial in light of new DNA evidence. Of the 65 persons accused in homicide cases in 2020-21, 40 (62%) were reported to have been under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both at the time of the homicide. He has been shot twice in the head and once in the body and is barely alive. [1] The ensuing murder inquiry was one of Chart 7 shows that the most common main method of killing in each of the last ten years was with a sharp instrument. which remains unsolved, sent shockwaves through the In terms of the most recent year (2020-21), rage or fury and fight or quarrel accounted for 26% of all victims in solved cases. In all homicide cases in the 10 years leading up to 2020-21, 1% had a homophobic or racist motivation (Table 14). Renee MacRae and her young son, Andrew, left their Inverness home apparently to spend the weekend with her sister in Kilmarnock. Alistair returns to the front door to see if the man is still there. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. His decomposing body was found three months later in woodland near Mussleburgh. For 10% of victims in solved cases the motive was a feud or faction rivalry, this is similar to the last 10 years (10%). Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' As the lighthouse tender Hesperus sailed past Flannan Island, 20 miles west of Lewis, the lookout noticed there was no beam coming from the lighthouse. Police were notified and when they got to the smouldering wreck, there was nothing to be found apart from a rug with a blood stain matching Renee. Between April 2013 and November 2018, Police Scotland recorded 277 homicides. "Where I worked in the north of Glasgow, we found ourselves at times inundated. "You need to try and put a stop to the criminal groups responsible for that violence, otherwise you end up with a spate of shootings, murders like we have currently going on in the west of Scotland.". Charging rates - and overall detection levels - vary according to what type of crime it is. However, it is unlikely any DNA connection can be made between Tobin and the Bible John killings due to the deterioration of forensic samples. Some 20,000 tonnes of earth were removed at a cost of 122,000 however all that was found were some crisp packets, mens clothing and rabbit bones. The extent of speculation underscores just how incomprehensible the crime remains. The apparent lack of motive and other unexplained elements of the murder have led to it being described as 'Scotland's most mysterious unsolved crime' and 'one of the most baffling cases of modern times', and it has attracted ongoing press coverage ever since. This bulletin also presents victim and accused data, the circumstances associated with the homicide, and additional details relating to the method, motive and relationship between the victim and the accused. The crew abandoned ship but many sailors were trapped in the mess hall. These 40 accused break down into 26 (34% of all accused) who were under the influence of alcohol, 12 (16%) who were under the influence of alcohol and drugs and two (3%) who were under the influence of drugs alone (Table 15). She had been raped and strangled by her attacker. The second most common set of circumstances are a rage or fight with an acquaintance not in a dwelling, accounting for a further 12% of male victims. Rumours had been circulating that children were coming in and out of a derelict tenement on MacKeith Street and talking of a dead body. For some unknown reason, a torpedo tube on board malfunctioned, launching a torpedo on the ships deck. Table 12 also shows the location, relationship and motives associated with all homicides recorded over the past ten years. He says only two words: Alistair Wilson. Chart 4 shows the victimisation rate by age group and sex for homicides since 2011-12 (i.e. Despite many years of searching Re. He was later convicted of the 1991 murder of 15-year-old Vicky Hamilton from Falkirk. I'm not saying the murders in the past were incompetently dealt with, but things have moved on. Between 2019-20 and 2020-21, the number of homicide victims in Scotland decreased by 12% (or eight victims), from 66 to 58 (Chart 3). Over the past ten years the median age of a person accused of homicide ranged between 28 and 35 years old (Table 1). How the case was investigated became as bizarre as the disappearances. This is the lowest number of recorded homicide cases since comparable data became available in 1976. Missing persons, unclaimed bodies and fairy coffins all of these figure in our list of Scotlands 10 most intriguing unsolved mysteries. Prison is usually reserved for serious offenders, persistent criminals and those who pose a risk to the public; it is intended to be used as a "last resort", but England and Wales have one of the highest rates of imprisonment in the Western world, with almost 83,800 people currently locked up. No matter how old or difficult a case may be, there is always hope whether through old fashioned police work, cutting edge science, or the ending of the double jeopardy rule, which now allows prosecutors to put a suspect on trial for a crime even if theyve been acquitted previously. If you think we have made a significant mistake and you Bible John, as the killer was now dubbed, was never caught. The vast majority of persons accused of homicide since 2000-01 have been male, making up 92% of all accused in 2020-21. LONDON (AP) Former U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Scotland on Monday to open a new golf course at his resort near Aberdeen. Possibly. Additionally, there were 45 category B homicides. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except for graphic assets and where otherwise stated, A National Statistics publication for Scotland. Police officer numbers in Scotland have remained broadly similar since 2013, although Police Scotland has announced plans to reduce its strength by around 400 officers by 2021 to meet budget constraints. As is so often seen with the disappearance of children, a huge search party swept the local area. Veronica sees the killer walking away. In 60% of solved cases the motive was unknown. All of the 55 cases of homicide recorded for 2020-21 were solved. Detective Inspector Gary Winter of Police Scotlands major investigation team, said of Pages time as an escort: Most peoples accepted definition of being an escort in 2018 is very different to what it was 40 years ago. Scotland has an air of mystique about it, with mist-covered glens, and its beautiful hills and mountains, but it also has a darker side. Chart 6 shows the rate for accused by age group and sex for homicides since 2011-12 (i.e. 2021: 25. And the number of unsolved violent crimes, which eventually become known as "cold cases," increases year after year. List of unsolved murders (before the 20th century) List of unsolved murders (19001979) List of unsolved murders (19801999) List of unsolved murders (2000present) See also Cold case Forensic Homicide by shooting is relatively rare in Scotland. Of these, 63% were killed by one of their parents. LONDON (AP) Former U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Scotland on Monday to open a new golf course at his resort near Aberdeen. It is believed that her murderer kept her somewhere before dumping her body. All rights reserved. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Your cookie preferences have been saved. Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. In 2019-20, 66% of homicides occurred within a residential location (dwelling and other residential), 20% in outdoor public places (street, footpath and open outdoor area) and 13% in indoor public places (Chart 2). Crime has been on a downward trajectory over the past 27 years, although there was a slight increase in crimes reported to the police last year. STV News found the majority of those - 212 - were category C, which is: "A homicide or other major investigation where the identity of the offender(s) is apparent from the outset and the investigation or securing of evidence can be achieved easily.". There was then a larger one-year decrease of 10 cases (or 15%) in 2020-21. The reduction coincided with a rise in violence, drug-taking and self-harm. Collecting driftwood along the coastline at the entrance to Aberdeens busy harbour, a local man spotted something white gleaming amongst the seaweed. Read More, THE Stone of Destiny has left Edinburgh Castle on its way to Westminster Abbey in London for the coronation. "There's a much more detailed and forensic approach. Digging began but was stopped when police ran out of funds for the hire of a bulldozer. The most common set of circumstances associated with a male victim are a rage or fight with an acquaintance in a dwelling (accounting for 18% of male victims). Males are more likely to be victims compared to females, with an overall rate for males of 18 victims per million population, more than four times the rate for females (four victims per million population). Officers searching Dalmagarry quarry came across a strong smell. We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing Here are 60 Best UK Crime Podcasts worth listening to in 2023. In 2019-20, there were 45 male victims, representing 70% of all homicide victims. Three men were arrested and charged but the Crown Office dropped the prosecution. WebPeople convicted of murder by Scotland (21 P) E. Murder in Edinburgh (3 P) G. People murdered in Scotland (1 C, 38 P) U. Unsolved murders in Scotland (9 P) Pages in In 2020-21, Glasgow City had the highest number of homicide cases (eight), followed by North Lanarkshire (seven) (Table 2). Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Frank McPhee, May 2000. You can change your cookie settings at any time. In 2020-21, the total number of individuals accused of homicide equated to 12 per million population. He said: "The resources required throughout Scotland, but particularly in Strathclyde where this murder happened and where the vast majority of these murders would have taken place, it really was a firefighting exercise at times with that volume. In 1998 there were 97, which rose to 119 the following year and in 2002 - the year Darren was killed - there were 127. About 10pm that evening Renees car was discovered ablaze in a lay-by 12 miles outside of Inverness, Renee and Andrew had vanished. He said: "By the very nature of the people involved in an organised criminal group murder, you will find it a lot harder to gain evidence to prosecute and convict anyone than you would in a murder of less profile or that's happened in straightforward circumstances. The most common set of circumstances associated with a male victim are a rage or fight with an acquaintance in a dwelling (accounting for 16% of male victims). In Scotland, there are dozens, if not hundreds of cases waiting to be cracked, some stretching back a century and more. In 1993, he was convicted of raping two 14-year-olds. We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. Last month, on what would have been Andrews 45th birthday, cold case detectives appealed for information on the whereabouts of his pushchair. The number of homicide cases recorded by the police in Scotland decreased by 15% (or 10 cases) between 2019-20 and 2020-21 from 65 to 55. In 2019-20, a sharp instrument was the main method of killing for 55% (35) of homicide victims. Over the past ten years, a majority of male victims were killed by an acquaintance (57%). A Gannett Company. [3], At around 7 pm on 28 November 2004, the doorbell of the Wilsons' house was rung and Veronica answered the door. For the latest year of 2020-21, of the 48 male victims, over two-thirds (69% or 33 victims) were killed by an acquaintance. Of those cases where the victim and accused were known to each other, 66% were acquaintances, 24% were partners or ex-partners and 11% were relatives. This latter information is taken from the, Similar to Scotland, England & Wales also produce National Statistics on Homicide, which is extracted from a dedicated database - the Home Office Homicide Index. The Home Office guidelines state: "Chief officers must ensure adequate financial provision is made for each investigation and, where possible, a suitable work environment is provided for officers working on the investigation. 10 fascinating unsolved Scottish mysteries - Scottish Field Escorting was something Brenda spoke about widely with friends and colleagues it was no secret. On 12 November 1976, 36 year old Renee MacRae and her three year old son, Andrew, left Inverness for a trip to visit Renees sister. Overall, the police figures show the number of offences logged by forces is up. For each of the last ten years, the most common method of killing was with a sharp instrument (Table 7). The Wilsons seemed a perfectly normal happy family. The most common set of circumstances associated with a female victim are a rage or fight with a partner or ex-partner in a dwelling (accounting for 16% of female victims). She described a conversation in which Gartshore said his own father would never forgive me for Moira Anderson. Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly. Detective work has been made more complex because of the mass of digital material from smartphones, computers and data storage devices. McPhee had twice been cleared of murder himself. Prisons, like other parts of the criminal justice system, also faced significant budget cuts, which led to the loss of more than 6,000 front-line prison staff between 2010 and 2016. 57 were solved and three are currently unsolved (Table 1). Chart 11 shows this trend and compares it to the trend in attempted murder and serious assaults. [1] The ensuing murder inquiry was one of the largest ever carried out in Scotland [2] and the crime remains unsolved. Of the 64 cases of homicide recorded for 2019-20, 63 were solved and one is currently unsolved. Most crimes are dealt with through fines or community sentences, administered by probation officers. The number of drug-related homicide cases is higher over the past five years than in preceding years, though Police Scotland advise that this may be due at least in part to an improvement in recording practice (i.e. COLD case officers never give up. In 2020-21, one case (2%) occurred within a prison (Table 3). Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. In 2020-21, 67% of homicides occurred within a residential location (dwelling and other residential), 27% in outdoor public places (street, footpath and open outdoor area) and 4% in indoor public places (Chart 2). Over the past ten years the median age of a victim has ranged between 33 and 44 years old (Table 1). The police had revealed the type of firearm used, a 0.25 calibre Haenel Suhl pocket pistol from the 1930s and wanted help in identifying any user of such a pistol. WebLists of unsolved murders These lists of unsolved murders include notable cases where victims were murdered in unknown circumstances. Our life just wont ever be anything without answers.. Your feedback helps us to improve this website. She believes the killer may have got the wrong Alistair Wilson. People connected to that part of Brendas life have spoken to us and what that has unearthed is that it wasnt a seedy business.. In 47% of solved cases the motive was unknown. Three young women were found murdered in the streets of Glasgow in the late 1960s. This week brought new signs that murder squad detectives investigating Scotland's most infamous unsolved crime - the disappearance of Renee MacRae and her three-year-old son Andrew - were getting closer to the truth. On closer inspection he discovered a severed human arm, tied at one end with a loop of twine. His view is supported by David Moran, a former detective inspector with Police Scotland who worked on up to 100 murder cases during his career. One theory is that they represented the 17 victims of the murderers and grave robbers Burke and Hare, while some believe they belonged to witches casting death spells on individuals. Table 9 shows that between 2011-12 and 2020-21, a total of 32 children under the age of 16 years were victims of homicide (where there was an accused person). Just over half (54%) of female victims aged between 16 and 70 years old were killed by their partner or ex-partner, 27% were killed by an acquaintance, 7% were killed by a son or daughter and 6% were killed by a stranger. This latter group includes ten cases where the victim was not known to the accused and six cases where the victim was known to the accused. Direct comparisons between Scotland and England & Wales should be treated with some caution due to uncertainty around different counting and classification conventions. In a perfect world, every crime would be solved and result in a just and proportionate penalty. deal with crimes, disorder and anti-social behaviour. Nothing suggested he had died of anything other than natural causes. There was no trace of the three lighthouse keepers. "In the current day you have dedicated MITs which will deal with the majority of murders. Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly. "Once the media puts it out there the profile has risen and public fears are exacerbated. In all homicide cases in the ten years leading up to 2019-20, 2% had a homophobic or racist motivation (Table 14). The relationship to the main accused was unknown in the remaining 14% of cases. A man stands there. In 2019-20, the total number of individuals accused of homicide equated to 14 per million population. We will abide by the decision of IPSO. experience. This story has been archived. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Alistair Wilson was a banker aged 30 living in Nairn, Scotland who was shot to death on his doorstep on 28 November 2004. Almost half of Magistrates Courts in England and Wales have been closed since 2010. Your feedback helps us to improve this website. There was criticism of the Crown after two prosecutions in 1999 and 2000 for the Chhokar murder resulted in acquittal. In 2020-21, the median age of a person accused of homicide was 31 years old, which is two years younger than in 2019-20 when the median age was 33 years old. An 80-year-old farmer even used divining rods to search for the bodies. 2023: 2. Scottish Murders is a fortnightly podcast dedicated to solved and unsolved murders carried out in Scotland or murders of Scottish people, and is hosted by two Over the past 10 years the median age of a victim has ranged between 33 and 45 years old (Table 1). In the 10 year period between 2011-12 and 2020-21, around half (46%) of all accused were reported to have been under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the homicide. Five accused persons (8%) were reported to have been neither under the influence of alcohol nor drugs at the time of the homicide (Table 15). Their disappearance is Britains longest-running missing persons case. The police will put more resources into that sort of case. IPSO is an 2022: 15. "The general work the CID would deal with on a day-to-day basis - attempted murders, serious assaults, housebreakings, frauds - that was all pushed aside when these murders happened. Between 2018-19 and 2019-20, the number of homicide cases recorded by the police in Scotland increased by 3% (or two cases) from 62 to 64 (Table 1). [7] He died in hospital later that evening. An hour later Alistair is dead, murdered in what seems like a gangland-style execution - to this day no-one knows why. 2023 BBC. Moira Anderson left her grandmothers home on Saturday February 23 1957 to buy some butter for her family at the local co-op in Coatbridge. There have been claims Alistair borrowed money linked to the underworld, and even reports connecting the case to Irish paramilitaries. It is the murder weapon. Alistair Wilson was a banker aged 30 living in Nairn, Scotland who was shot to death on his doorstep on 28 November 2004. WebSome of the oldest unsolved murders on Uncovered s cold case website include the 1960 murder of Nancy Eagleson, the 1977 murder of Ann Harmeier, the 1977 murder of Roberta Elam, the 1982 murder of Tina Foglia, the 1980 murder of Eve Wilkowitz, and the 1984 murder of Laura Parker. This has also shown a decrease in recent years. We at Scottish Field endeavour to ensure that all our reports are fair and accurate and comply with the Editors Code of Practice set by the And the proportion of crimes that are "detected" - meaning they have been resolved in some way - has been falling continuously since 2015. One area where some general comparisons can be made are the broad trends in changes over time between Scotland and England & Wales, though still allowing for the caveats outlined above. Experts estimate that, based on UCR data, our nation currently has 250,000 unsolved murders, a number that increases by about 6,000 each year. It was a matter of let's get this one cleared up, we have a sufficiency of evidence, and move on to the next one. "Working collaboratively as the Scottish homicide governance group, the potential for new investigative opportunities are regularly assessed in an attempt to review these cases and pursue resolution.". He said: "A case will attract media attention because it is of particular concern to the public. Read More. On his hour and a half rampage James Griffiths killed one man, wounded one dectitive, and injured eleven men, women, and children on the streets of Glasgow - as well as the one woman he murdered 10 days prior. "Murder cops on trail of expat who was former neighbour of Nairn banker Alistair Wilson", "Mystery of 'weird' hitman who killed Nairn banker Alistair Wilson", "Getting away with murder: Britain's most notorious unsolved crimes", "The mysterious envelope and the death of Alistair Wilson", "On 15th anniversary of the murder of Nairn banker Alistair Wilson detectives repeat appeal for information", "Son of banker shot dead 16 years ago says his family deserves answers", "Police probe planning dispute in Nairn doorstep murder", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Alistair_Wilson&oldid=1145136022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 March 2023, at 13:36. Tobin was also convicted in 2009 of the murder of 18-year-old Dinah McNicol from Essex in 1991. In 2020-21 there were 48 male victims, representing 83% of all homicide victims. In Scotland, the number of homicide cases has fallen over the longer term but remained relatively stable during 2012-13 to 2019-20 (with between 59 and 65 cases each year). However, if you are unsatisfied with our response, you can contact IPSO, which will 1. He was initially cleared of the girls murder in 1987. Comments have been closed on this article. The killer was responsible for at least three unsolved murders: Patricia Docker, Jemima McDonald and Helen Puttock. Detectives soon discovered that Renee had a complicated private life. In 2019-20, just under a fifth (12) of the 64 national recorded homicide cases occurred within Glasgow City (Table 2). "We recognise the anguish suffered by families who have been denied justice for many years. When Janet Rogers, a domestic servant, was found dead in a pool of blood at her brothers Perthshire farmhouse, detectives launched a huge investigation which has become the UKs oldest unsolved murder mystery. However, a more prosaic explanation for her death than industry conspiracy or escorting, is that she was murdered after disturbing a burglar. for the past 10 years representing 839 accused). Recorded Crime in Scotland This Official Statistics bulletin presents information on the number of crimes and offences recorded by the police in Scotland