UK UK - Alistair Wilson, 30, murdered at home, Nairn, Scotland, 28 Nov 2004

[trendsetter]

Doorstep murder: Police have new man in sights over banker shooting

The development comes after a flurry of activity in the hunt for the killer of banker Alistair Wilson.

www.bbc.co.uk

Getting close to breaking the case finally?

BBC know the poi , but obviously not naming. Reads as the landlords golf partner?

Guernsey seems an important place in the investigation:

""And he (the police officer) was describing to me going to Guernsey and enquiring after arms dealers there," he told Mr Smith.
Guernsey was occupied by Germany during WWII and some Nazi officers were known to have carried the brand of pocket pistol used to shoot Alistair."

Could the "the man who supplied the weapon" be located there? If so it could be read as being consistent with the later police statement that the gun "is likely to have been taken to the UK after World War Two as some form of souvenir".

Guernsey isn't a very large place - I wonder how many arms dealers there are there.

 

[Markybug]

What with this case , the renee macrae case and the possible finding of the last victim of the moors murderers , there’s a lot happening in the UK.

 

[davidt]

Given the information the BBC and Fiona Walker have put out there must be a lot of people around Nairn who know who this is.

 

[Markybug]

Be crazy after all the theories (some wild) and speculation, if it’s something as “minor” as a planning dispute?

Although someone with guns and who presumably has mental health issues to react like this , would be on the radar immediately??

 

[trendsetter]

Although someone with guns and who presumably has mental health issues to react like this , would be on the radar immediately??

Yes - you would expect the police to draw up a list of local registered gun-owners very soon after the murder even if he didn't receive a 'knock-on-the-door'; but it seems from what the press has quoted the police as saying they have only very recently become aware of him. This might be interpreted either as them 'grasping at straws' or evidence that the investigation was poorly conducted from the outset.

 

[yooper1975]

Yes - you would expect the police to draw up a list of local registered gun-owners very soon after the murder even if he didn't receive a 'knock-on-the-door'; but it seems from what the press has quoted the police as saying they have only very recently become aware of him. This might be interpreted either as them 'grasping at straws' or evidence that the investigation was poorly conducted from the outset.

I don’t know why you’d expect a list of local registered gun owners - the murder weapon was an illegal, unregistered, German antique handgun. The new suspect was also a member of the local emergency services. As he was 20 at the time I think that means a part time firefighter or coastguard. Too young to really be trained as police or ambulance. I take it locals all have an idea of who this suspect is? Is it a surprise?

 

[trendsetter]

I don’t know why you’d expect a list of local registered gun owners - the murder weapon was an illegal, unregistered, German antique handgun. The new suspect was also a member of the local emergency services. As he was 20 at the time I think that means a part time firefighter or coastguard. Too young to really be trained as police or ambulance. I take it locals all have an idea of who this suspect is? Is it a surprise?

For ten days, until the murder weapon was found, the police had no idea what type of gun had been used - they knew only its calibre. They didn't know that it was an unregistered illegal semi-automatic, less still how old it was or where it had been manufactured. In those ten days they should have considered the possibility that the murder weapon was owned by a registered gun-owner, that it had been stolen or borrowed from a registered gun-owner or that gun-owners could help in some other way, but they didn't. Ten days doesn't sound a long time now, but its important in any investigation that the right things are done from the outset; evidence needs to be gathered before it's lost and witnesses need to located in a timely manner as memories can fade quickly. Had that happened perhaps the police wouldn't still be appealing for witnesses 18 years on from the crime (in May of this year):

Alistair Wilson murder: Police appeal for witnesses present at hotel

Detectives believe a planning application at a hotel opposite Mr Wilson’s home may have been linked to his death.

www.standard.co.uk

 

[davidt]

The Doorstep Murder - Episode 8 - The Pub - BBC Sounds

After 18 years, the police put forward a possible motive for Alistair Wilson's murder.

www.bbc.co.uk

New episode of The Doorstep Murder.

 

[Mickymack10]

Hi guys just an update with regards to the current case. I stay near Nairn <modsnip> I believe that an arrest could imminent

I don’t know why you’d expect a list of local registered gun owners - the murder weapon was an illegal, unregistered, German antique handgun. The new suspect was also a member of the local emergency services. As he was 20 at the time I think that means a part time firefighter or coastguard. Too young to really be trained as police or ambulance. I take it locals all have an idea of who this suspect is? Is it a surprise?

 

[davidt]

The Big Cases - The Doorstep Murder

Alistair Wilson was shot at his front door in 2004. Are police closing in on his killer?

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[dotr]

Oct 1 2022

An interesting week in the world of UK true crime.

It has been quite the week in the world of UK true crime with several high profile cases in the spotlight again as well as a conviction for…

crackerblog.medium.com

''Now the BBC have reported that the police have a new suspect in their sights:

“We have decided not to name the man at this stage in case it affects the police investigation. What we can say is that he lived in Nairn at the time of the murder, and worked for the emergency services. He’s linked to Andy Burnet on social media. Neighbours have said he was a regular drinker at the Havelock. Two of them also said he kept guns in the house, in a locked gun safe, as he would be required to do under a licence. When Alistair was murdered, police said the gunman was 30–40 years old. They recently changed that age description; it’s now 20–40. At the time of the murder, this man was 20. Someone who knew him told the BBC he was a decent guy, and certainly wasn’t stocky, which was also a key part of the description of the killer.”

 

[davidt]

Having caught up with the latest news and podcast etc. it does seem the police see the decking dispute to be very likely at the heart of this. The pub received a copy of AWs objection letter a few days before he was killed. The objection was discussed at least twice in the pub shortly before AW was killed. Haven't seen anything to say what sort of feelings the objection evoked.

The person of interest was a regular drinker in the pub, lived locally and was known to have kept guns and a friend of sorts of Andy Burnet. I haven't seen anything to say why this particular person is of such interest now. Presumably the police have some more information.

Although clearly Andy Burnet is NOT this person he's being name checked an awful lot. Fiona Walker's podcast goes as far as saying a lot of this makes Andy Burnet look bad. I wonder of there's a hint of wider collusion?

One thing I hadn't given much thought to before was the mental state of the killer. Most of us have puzzled over the events as we know them of that night and struggled to make any sense of them. It occurs to me that whilst we try and make some logic out of apparently contradictory information perhaps there isn't any? If the killer did happen to have mental health issues perhaps mot of his actions just wouldn't make any sense in the normal course of events.

 

[Konstantin]

One thing I hadn't given much thought to before was the mental state of the killer. Most of us have puzzled over the events as we know them of that night and struggled to make any sense of them. It occurs to me that whilst we try and make some logic out of apparently contradictory information perhaps there isn't any? If the killer did happen to have mental health issues perhaps mot of his actions just wouldn't make any sense in the normal course of events.

I think this is a very interesting point. A lot has been made of trying to make sense of the killing, by attributing some sort of logic to it, which people have tried to piece together into a coherent narrative based on it being a professional hit over a hidden motive. However, elements of the murder just didn't fit into a coherent pattern, and certainly not by a professional (the killer let the victim's wife see him and hear him, he let his victim go back into the house, he gave him something that could have had his DNA on it, he committed the crime in a place where others could see him. Shooting three times with a pistol that might not have actually killed the victim. There could be an argument for there being something personal in the interaction between the killer and AW (three shots, one in the face although from reports it seems this hit AW in the cheek?) But AW and his wife did not know the killer. He knew them, not the other way around (it seems).

There were elements that did suggest a killer with local knowledge though--the CCTV being down (unless this was such a disorganized killer that this aspect was pure luck), where he dropped the gun, perhaps knowing AW would be home then.

 

[cortina]

I don’t know why you’d expect a list of local registered gun owners - the murder weapon was an illegal, unregistered, German antique handgun. The new suspect was also a member of the local emergency services. As he was 20 at the time I think that means a part time firefighter or coastguard. Too young to really be trained as police or ambulance. I take it locals all have an idea of who this suspect is? Is it a surprise?

I. hadn't heard this about it being a member. of the local emergency services....a bit worrying if were talking about a. disturbed mental. state.

I can understand the. age of. the suspect being a little bit out, but he's no. longer considered to have been stocky...rather too different for both to be a. match.

if were. talking about the younger man at the beach, who was the older man with. him

 

[davidt]

Tbh I never take descriptions too seriously. Eye witnesses are notoriously unreliable when providing descriptions of people. I've seen it tested on TV before where groups are asked questions about something they've just seen and give wildly different answers to each other. They also seem very open to suggestion and persuasion.

 

[trendsetter]

Tbh I never take descriptions too seriously. Eye witnesses are notoriously unreliable when providing descriptions of people. I've seen it tested on TV before where groups are asked questions about something they've just seen and give wildly different answers to each other. They also seem very open to suggestion and persuasion.

Good point. As far as we know there was only one witness who saw the gunman; they saw him for only a few seconds and at night.

 

[cortina]

sorry...ive just thought...I didn't mean to insult anyone with my comments about mental health...most of us have been there to a. greater or lesser extent...presumably the. police haven't been able to trace the suspect, so he. couldn't have asked his former employer for. a reference.

I also thought that the. bcc podcast was having a bit of a pop at. Andy burnet....presumably aw would have had a few words with. him before he sent his official objection...one. thing. that he mentioned in his letter was that felt as. though people were peering into their. house...Fiona walker went on to say that Andy burnet told the police he thought the family, had. been acting rather oddly because they'd been keeping their curtains or blinds closed, when in reality he'd have known why...as if he was trying to make out they were strange and. secretive.

which brings me to ask...how set in stone is the opinion that someone isn't a suspect and have the police said this publicly about Andy burnet

 

[davidt]

sorry...ive just thought...I didn't mean to insult anyone with my comments about mental health...most of us have been there to a. greater or lesser extent...presumably the. police haven't been able to trace the suspect, so he. couldn't have asked his former employer for. a reference.

I also thought that the. bcc podcast was having a bit of a pop at. Andy burnet....presumably aw would have had a few words with. him before he sent his official objection...one. thing. that he mentioned in his letter was that felt as. though people were peering into their. house...Fiona walker went on to say that Andy burnet told the police he thought the family, had. been acting rather oddly because they'd been keeping their curtains or blinds closed, when in reality he'd have known why...as if he was trying to make out they were strange and. secretive.

which brings me to ask...how set in stone is the opinion that someone isn't a suspect and have the police said this publicly about Andy burnet

I made a similar point a little earlier in the thread. For someone who is NOT a suspect he gets a heck of a lot of name checking in the most recent coverage.

 

[cortina]

I made a similar point a little earlier in the thread. For someone who is NOT a suspect he gets a heck of a lot of name checking in the most recent coverage.

yes, David t ...thanks for your original post..it made me listen to the podcast a lot more closely.

I think you'd have had to have been more than a little bit careless. to encourage someone with mental health problems to put the. frighteners on someone...any motive is possible, I guess

 

[golam08]

Channel 5 doc on 1st Dec. Looks like they are sure who it was but need evidence. The net is closing. Personally I don't think the landlord did it but I think he has enough info to act on in court.

Murdered banker Alistair Wilson may have been killed over complaints about pub

Alistair's doorstep murder in Nairn in 2004 will be discussed in a Channel 5 documentary on Thursday.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk