Forensics: Murder Case

The police investigation has never closed but the murderer's identity has remained a mystery since 1983, the killer quite literally disappearing into the night. Now, over forty years later, there is a glimmer of hope – a DNA profile from preserved crime scene evidence that police believe belongs to George's killer.
With exclusive access, this series offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a cold case investigation, revealing the painstaking efforts to piece together fragments of the past to help solve the crime in the present.

Detectives from the eighties onwards have been haunted by this case; George Murdoch's killer is the one that got away. The police of the past, however, were hampered by the lack of CCTV and mobile phone evidence – resources indispensable to a modern-day inquiry. Despite conducting 10,000 house-to-house inquiries and recording 7,000 statements, the killer has remained beyond their grasp.

But now the net is closing, and the public have a vital role to play. The killer's DNA hasn't matched to a profile on the national database, but detectives have the next best thing – a list of possible blood relatives that could lead them to the door of a murderer.

The pursuit of justice for George Murdoch intensifies. A significant breakthrough has provided police with a DNA profile believed to come from George's killer, but it hasn't matched to any known offender. Undeterred, detectives track down people across the UK with similar DNA, who could be blood relatives. Finding a family member could lead them directly to the door of the man who murdered George.

Affectionately known as "Dod," George was a beloved family man and the brutality of his murder in 1983 – attacked with a cheesewire then strangled to death – left an enduring scar on his loved ones and the wider Aberdeen community. This film delves into the profound emotional toll the unsolved crime took and what the public can now do to help find George's killer.

To refine their search, detectives enlist the expertise of a Behavioral Investigative Adviser from the National Crime Agency. By meticulously analysing the crime scene and witness statements, he develops a psychological and criminal profile of the killer, aiding their manhunt.

David, a childhood neighbour of George and his wife Jessie, recalls the night of the murder and its devastating long-term impact on Jessie. The murder haunted the widow for the rest of her life: she was in constant fear that the killer, who had taken George's wallet with their address inside, would come for her next.

The film culminates in Senior Investigating Officer James Callander and journalist Kirsty Wark exploring the crucial clues uncovered throughout the investigation, and reveals how the public can assist detectives in finally cracking this long-unsolved crime.