A few minutes later he returned to his wife carrying an empty blue envelope with the name Paul on the front. WebYour search results for murder: 1027 newspaper articles contained information about murder filtered by: Region: strathclyde, scotland Date from: 1st Jan 1970 - Date to: 31st Dec 1979 47 MURDER CASES LAST YEAR Scotland in 1972 had its highest number of murders and combined total of crimes and offences made known to the police in any IT was a case which both scandalised and shocked the Scottish highlands in the 1970s - and has continued to baffle and obsess the nation ever since. Police investigated links to Irish terrorism, drugs and dog-fighting. "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.". He was also the biological father of Andrew. For example whilst the data for 2020-21 are not yet available, the Office for National Statistics (. 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. In 2006, two years after his release from prison, he was working as a handyman at a church in Glasgow when he raped and murdered Angelika Kluk, a Polish student. It later emerged that Page, aged 32, also worked as an escort - fuelling speculation that her murderer was one of her clients. Your cookie preferences have been saved. Homicide cases involving more than one victim are relatively rare, in 2019-20 there were no cases with more than one victim (Table 1). Like Patricia and Jemima, she had been menstruating at the time of her murder - a possible psychological motive for the killer. "In the current day you have dedicated MITs which will deal with the majority of murders. In 60% of solved cases the motive was unknown. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. Austin recalled that Page seemed frightened and concerned about her safety. Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies. 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. His headstone reads: Erected by the people of Scotland in memory of the Unknown Bairn. There had been no sexual assault. 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. He said: "A case will attract media attention because it is of particular concern to the public. Since 2011-12 there have been 11 victims aged under one year old and in all but three cases (where there was an accused person) the main accused was a parent. 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. Chart 6 shows the rate for accused by age group and gender for homicides since 2010-11 (. We are lucky at The Herald. Thirty-one (49%) victims were reported to have been killed in drug-related homicide cases in 2019-20, of which 23 were male (Table 13). 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. Extensive searches met a dead end and the rest of her remains have never been found. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. He was the first man to be killed by a Police officer while in the execution of duty in Scotland. 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). All had been strangled with their own tights and raped. 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. End of text box. 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. The Court of Appeal ordered a fresh trial in light of new DNA evidence. The police inquiry into the shooting has focused on a Haenel Suhl Model 1 Schmeissers patent handgun, made in Germany between 1920 and 1945, which was found down a street drain in the town. He ran a lucrative taxi firm. In 2018-19, fewer than 8% of offences led to a suspect being charged or ordered to appear in court, and under 4% were dealt with outside court, by an on-the-spot fine, caution or community resolution, such as an apology or compensation. There have been claims that her death could have been linked to her research. Despite intense efforts, the police have yet to find the killer. She was seen leaving with a young, well-dressed man who slipped quotes from the Bible into conversation. Patricias body was found naked in the doorway of a lock-up garage in the Battlefield area of Glasgow in February 1968 - just yards from her own home. It is the murder weapon. Possibly. Ann Ballantine, November 1986. On the night of her death, Renee was wearing a sheepskin coat. The most recent full year available - 2017/18 - saw 59 victims across Scotland. However, some crimes - such as murder, offences against businesses, and crimes against people aged under 16 - are not included in its main findings. This bulletin presents statistics on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2019-20. Of these, 63% were killed by one of their parents. We examine lesser known UK cases in depth, talk to true crime authors, review products/shows, and interview other experts in the field of UK True Crime to offer In 2020-21, the total number of individuals accused of homicide equated to 12 per million population. The visitor has remained on the door step. The latest data published was for the 2018-19 reporting year. As is so often seen with the disappearance of children, a huge search party swept the local area. Alistair was a banker, Veronica a graphic designer, and the couple had plenty of friends. Read about our approach to external linking. The victim and main accused were known to each other in a majority of cases, representing 60% of homicide cases solved in 2019-20. Almost half of Magistrates Courts in England and Wales have been closed since 2010. 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. "Once the media puts it out there the profile has risen and public fears are exacerbated. For each of the last ten years, the most common method of killing was with a sharp instrument (Table 7). He was later convicted of the 1991 murder of 15-year-old Vicky Hamilton from Falkirk. Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Table 9 also shows that for all homicides recorded in the last 10 years, 59% of male victims aged between 16 and 70 years old were killed by an acquaintance, 23% were killed by a stranger, 5% were killed by a partner or ex-partner and 5% were killed by a relative. Reality Check: Are police still policing? One of the senior team involved in the MacRae cold case, Detective Inspector Brian Geddes believes modern science, especially advances in DNA, will help crack the case as it has done with so many others. A Crown Office spokesman said: "We treat all allegations of homicide extremely seriously and prosecute where there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to do so. [3], At around 7 pm on 28 November 2004, the doorbell of the Wilsons' house was rung and Veronica answered the door. Most murders are detected because of the huge investigative effort that goes into solving them. Charging rates - and overall detection levels - vary according to what type of crime it is. She had been raped and strangled by her attacker. Both Police Scotland and the Crown Office declined our request for an interview about Darren's case. For some unknown reason, a torpedo tube on board malfunctioned, launching a torpedo on the ships deck. "Something like a child murder or a female who's abducted, cases of that nature will naturally attract media attention and both the categorisation of the murder inquiry and the amount of resources put into it will definitely be greater than a murder seen as straightforward to solve and of less public interest.". The second most common set of circumstances are a rage or fight with an acquaintance not in a dwelling, accounting for a further 13% of male victims. Police officer numbers have decreased since 2010, although at a slower rate than England and Wales. Between 2018-19 and 2019-20, the number of homicide victims in Scotland increased by 2% (or one victims), from 63 to 64 (Chart 3). Copyright 2007-2022 STV. Renee was besotted with MacDowell, according to Steventon. Despite ongoing appeals and huge news coverage, nobody ever came forward to claim or identify the child. Veronica answers the door. The reduction coincided with a rise in violence, drug-taking and self-harm. You can change your cookie settings at any time. She and her son Andrew were never seen again. It may be 42 years since MacRae went missing, but police issued appeals this week for a suitcase the Inverness woman had with her on the night she vanished the suitcase is believed to be central to cracking the crime. experience. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. The story begins on Friday, November 12 1976, when Renee MacRae left her home in Inverness with her sons Gordon, 9, and Andrew, 3. The latest data published was for the 2019-20 reporting year. Of the 64 cases of homicide recorded for 2019-20, 63 were solved and one is currently unsolved. The verdict was not proven. Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly. According to Moran, the high number in 2002 inevitably put pressure on police time and budgets. Of the 64 homicide victims recorded across Scotland in 2019-20, 45 were men and 19 were women. More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan, Explosion derails train in Russian border region. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please The 40,000 to 60,000 per annum, Generous performance linked commission, Pension, Unlimited holiday allowance, Terms and Conditions Placing of Advertisements, Artificial intelligence to help with Gaelic subtitles, Runrig marks 50th birthday with Inverness Castle news. Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). All of the 55 cases of homicide recorded for 2020-21 were solved. "We are applying the most modern investigative techniques in a bid to progress the investigation and this will include utilising advances in forensic science," he says. Various factors, including levels of public concern, public risk and the perceived difficulty of the enquiry, "can be used as a guide to the initial deployment of resources". The accused was not known to the victim in two cases (3%). Only 2004/05 saw a greater number with 137 victims. experience. Digging began but was stopped when police ran out of funds for the hire of a bulldozer. In comparison, over the same period, female victims were most likely to be killed by a partner or ex-partner (41%). wish to discuss this with us, please let us know as soon as possible by any of the experience. Males are more likely to be victims compared to females, with an overall rate for males of 17 victims per million population, more than double the rate for females (7 victims per million population). In 2017-18, there were 81 persons accused of homicide, three more than in 2016-17 and the fourth lowest number since 1976, the first year for which comparable 10 fascinating unsolved Scottish mysteries, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The relationship to the main accused was unknown in the remaining 14% of cases. But the legacy of years of austerity is still being felt. None of the homicides recorded in 2020-21 were reported to have had a homophobic or racial motivation. Detectives soon discovered that Renee had a complicated private life. The wealthy 82-year-old Glaswegian was beaten to death and the only thing taken was a diamond brooch. There has also been a steep decline in the number of police community support officers and civilian staff, who provide vital back-up roles. In one of the most sensational murder cases of the Victorian age, LAngeliers lover Madeleine Smith, from a wealthy Glasgow family, was accused of poisoning him with arsenic. The death of Darren Birt is one of more than 1000 cases in Scotland where no-one has been brought to justice. This is higher for males (47%) than females (38%) (Table 16). Undercover officers mingled with dancers at the Barrowlands. WebNote that this reflects the number of unsolved murders in this database and is not a direct indication of the actual number unsolved murders for that year as there might be data missing. The 14-year-old left her home in the Vale of Leven to meet friends. But offences such as robbery, where witnesses are needed, and sexual offences, which often revolve around the issue of consent, have far lower clear-up rates. It was only three days into 1956 when three boys from Montana, out for a hike on a normal January day, made a gruesome discovery they were unlikely to ever forget. MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Trump mistrial request denied in NY rape lawsuit, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, Street piano confiscated as public 'break rules', US rock band Aerosmith announce farewell tour, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, DeSantis-backed board votes to countersue Disney. 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. Nothing suggested he had died of anything other than natural causes. As Alistairs widow Veronica says: For us as a family, we need to know why. The latest publication for 2019-20 reported that in England & Wales the number of incidents recorded in the year ending March 2020 was similar to the previous two years. Between April 2013 and November 2018, Police Scotland recorded 277 homicides. These are ones in which "the identity of the offender(s) is not apparent, the continued risk to the public is low and the investigation or securing of evidence can be achieved within normal force resourcing arrangements". In early July 1978, Page had dinner with William Austin, who ran the Capital Escort Agency. IF Scotland has a case which haunts the collective memory like Jack the Ripper, then it is the Bible John murders in the late 1960s. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com. Missing persons, unclaimed bodies and fairy coffins all of these figure in our list of Scotlands 10 most intriguing unsolved mysteries. The 20-year-old was found in a canal in Edinburgh, wrapped in a carpet. If you think we have made a significant mistake and you in the process of restoring those numbers. Page is spotted leaving the hotel at 2.30am - the last time shes seen alive. In the period 2010-11 to 2019-20, 83% of all female victims were killed in a dwelling, compared with 55% of males. Statistical bulletin on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2019-2020. He had told her that hed got a job with an oil firm in Shetland and found a house for them all to live together. One case had a homophobic motivation. Your feedback helps us to improve this website. There were reports of Moira being seen on a bus near her home not long after she left her grandmothers house. In London, a man is currently being tried in an infamous cold case involving the alleged murder to two nine-year-old girls. MacDowell has vehemently denied any involvement in the case. He was in his 60s and later died. COLD case officers never give up. Alexander Pacteau is serving at least 23 years for her murder. 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. The envelope is empty. He has been shot twice in the head and once in the body and is barely alive. In Canada, homicides represent a fraction of the total number of police-reported violent Criminal Code offences each year. Ten days after the killing an antique gun is found in a drain not far from their house. There was no trace of the three lighthouse keepers. An hour later Alistair is dead, murdered in what seems like a gangland-style execution - to this day no-one knows why. Alistair Wilson was a banker aged 30 living in Nairn, Scotland who was shot to death on his doorstep on 28 November 2004. Crime and prosecution statistics are not directly comparable with England and Wales. People connected to that part of Brendas life have spoken to us and what that has unearthed is that it wasnt a seedy business.. 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. Russell Bishop is on trial for a second time charged with killing Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows in Brighton in 1986. "Where I worked in the north of Glasgow, we found ourselves at times inundated. This is partly because more people feel comfortable approaching the police about under-reported crimes, such as sexual offences, and because police themselves are getting better at recording crime. We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing 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. Since 2010-11 there have been 13 victims aged under one year old and in all but two cases (where there was an accused person) the main accused was a parent. Overall, the police figures show the number of offences logged by forces is up. Brenda was an extremely intelligent woman with her whole life ahead of her. In Scotland, there are dozens, if not hundreds of cases waiting to be cracked, some stretching back a century and more. A ploughman was initially accused of committing the crime after a botched robbery, but the jury took only 12 minutes to return a verdict of not proven. Later that night, a man matching the description of John got on a local bus - his clothes were stained and there was a bruise on his face. The Survey is also not regarded as being good at estimating less common crimes which cause the most harm, like stabbings and robbery. This feature was originally published in 2016. Direct comparisons between Scotland and England & Wales should be treated with some caution due to uncertainty around different counting and classification conventions. But as officer numbers have dropped, arrests have gone down - for almost all crimes. 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. One theory is that the vessel was owned by the Dutch East India Company, which collapsed in 1799. Chart 4 shows the victimisation rate by age group and gender for homicides since 2010-11 (. Statistics are presented on the number of homicide cases recorded in Scotland, where a single case of homicide is counted for each crime involving Murder or Culpable homicide (common law), irrespective of the number of victims or accused. Bank manager Alistair Wilson was shot dead on the doorstep of his home in Nairn on 28 November 2004 by a stocky man wearing a baseball cap. The creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was involved in securing his release. The probation system was partially privatised in 2014, but is now undergoing a further substantial overhaul to undo some of the changes. Her sister Rita, 84, said: Not a day goes by when we dont think about Brenda and the horrendous ordeal she must have suffered that night. Read More, THE Stone of Destiny has left Edinburgh Castle on its way to Westminster Abbey in London for the coronation. In 2019-20, the median age of a person accused of homicide was 33 years old, which is three years older than in 2018-19 when the median age was 30 years old. But the claims led nowhere. In all homicide cases in the 10 years leading up to 2020-21, 1% had a homophobic or racist motivation (Table 14). In 2019-20, the rates for those accused of homicide were similar for the 16 to 20 (27 per million population), 21 to 30 (26) and 31 to 50 (27) year old age groups. Suspicions as to the motive for his death have centred on his work as a banker, with many seeing the mysterious blue envelope as the key to the case. 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. Police dismissed the claim. Chart 9 shows that over two-thirds of all homicide cases (68%) recorded between 2010-11 and 2019-20 involved males killing males. The 2019-20 figures for England & Wales will be published in 2021. Not a single case has been categorised as A+ in that time, which is reserved for cases where public concern is such that normal resource levels would be inadequate. Darren's death was reported by STV News in 2002 - but otherwise received little media attention with a total of four brief reports in local newspapers. 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. This is an increase of 10 victims on the 31 reported in 2019-20. An unidentified man wearing a baseball cap, dark blue jacket and dark jeans stood on the doorstep. You can change your cookie settings at any time. [1] Victims believed or known to have been murdered 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. The next most common main method was hitting and kicking, accounting for 22% (14) of homicide victims in 2019-20. By the end of July police ruled out Austin, the escort agency boss, as well as the two men shed met prior to her death, and her ex-husband Dr Christopher Harrison, who later left Scotland. Nowadays, if we use that word, people assume the person is involved in the sex industry that was not the case in 1978. And the number of unsolved violent crimes, which eventually become known as "cold cases," increases year after year. He was initially cleared of the girls murder in 1987. Digging restarted in 2004. Reikeras said: There are various parties that stand to lose a lot so perhaps her research was a factor in her murder.. 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 McPhee, a Glasgow gangland figure, died from a single shot to the head from a sniper in Maryhill. 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. It was a means for Brenda to meet people, get companionship and company and go out socialising in an era before the internet, dating websites and apps. This is the lowest number since comparable records began in 1980-81. Bishop denies the two charges of murder. Additionally, there were 45 category B homicides. Marion Gilchrist, 1908. Chart 7 shows that the most common main method of killing in each of the last 10 years was with a sharp instrument. In all homicide cases in the ten years leading up to 2019-20, 2% had a homophobic or racist motivation (Table 14). The night of Saturday August 16 1969, also saw 32-year-old mother of three Jemima McDonald dancing at the Barrowland Ballroom. Given this, users are advised to exercise some caution when comparing this variable with years prior to 2016-17. [5] At the time of the murder, Alistair was the business manager at the local Bank of Scotland branch. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Darren's father Brian Birt accuses the authorities of not doing enough to secure a conviction and lacking transparency in their decision making. WebView history. for the past 10 years representing 839 accused). Over the past ten years the median age of a person accused of homicide ranged between 28 and 35 years old (Table 1). Stevenson said, however, that this was a pack of lies. He says only two words: Alistair Wilson. This bulletin presents statistics on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2020-21. However, if police had followed the lead up, they would have found out that the driver of the bus was a man called Alexander Gartshore, on bail for raping his childrens babysitter. The American-born Scottish serial killer was convicted for the murder of seven people across Lanarkshire and Southern Scotland between 1956 and 1958. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 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. 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. In 2019-20, 64 victims of homicide were recorded, 2% (one victim) more than the 63 victims We realise, however, that mistakes 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. The most common reasons recorded for committing homicide in the ten year period between 2010-11 and 2019-20, were fight or quarrel, and rage or fury, with 45% of all victims in solved cases killed in such circumstances. The ammunition used in the shooting was made by Sellier and Bellot in the Czech Republic between 1983 and 1993. Furthermore, just over half of homicides where the accused was under the influence of alcohol or alcohol and drugs (58% or 225) occurred during the weekend (, This bulletin has reported a decreasing trend in homicides over the longer term. A change to double jeopardy laws eventually led to the conviction of one man in 2016. Police officers are central to the criminal justice system's smooth running as they: The number of officers in the 43 England and Wales forces has fallen by about 20,000 since 2010, but the government is in the process of restoring those numbers by April 2023 in the most ambitious police recruitment drive in modern times. This is partly because of a government strategy to move some cases, such as low-level thefts and motoring offences, out of the court system, by extending the use of video links and virtual hearings conducted online. 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). In 47% of solved cases the motive was unknown. As with south of the border there is another measure of crime in Scotland - the annual Crime and Justice Survey. In 2019-20, there was one victim recorded and since 2010-11 there has only been two other years where more than two victims were recorded (2011-12 and 2018-19). Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except for graphic assets and where otherwise stated, Annex - Police Scotland Management Information, A National Statistics publication for Scotland. On Wednesday, a former detective claimed in a new book that the killing could be linked to the finances of Livingston FC which went into administration in 2004. The number of homicide cases recorded by the police in Scotland increased by 3% (or two cases) between 2018-19 and 2019-20 from 62 to 64. Police have not ruled out draining the quarry. In 2020-21, the rates for those accused of homicide varied somewhat for the 16 to 20 (24 per million population), 21 to 30 (33 per million population) and 31 to 50 (21 per million population) years old age groups.