A “significant amount of work” has been carried out as part of a reinvestigation into the unsolved murder of a banker more than 20 years ago, a police chief says.
Father-of-two Alistair Wilson, 30, was fatally shot on the doorstep of his home in the Scottish Highlands on 28 November 2004.
He later died in hospital and the crime remains unsolved.
Scotland’s top law officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, ordered a complete reinvestigation into the cold case last year.
The probe – named Operation Sabine – is headed by a new team of Police Scotland officers and Crown Office prosecutors.
Chief Superintendent Suzanne Chow, who is leading the operation, said: “We have a team of 37 officers and staff dedicated to this investigation who have already carried out a significant amount of work.
“I understand Alistair’s family want answers and we are determined to maintain a relationship with them and do everything we can to bring his killer to justice.”
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Ch Supt Chow urged all those with information to either call Police Scotland on 101, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or submit details directly to the inquiry team via the online portal.
The murder
Mr Wilson was shot at his home in Crescent Road, Nairn, on 28 November 2004. He died later in hospital.
He had been reading bedtime stories to his two young sons after their evening bath when a man knocked on their front door.
When Mr Wilson’s wife Veronica answered, the killer asked for his victim by name.
A blue envelope, which had the name Paul on it, was handed to Mr Wilson on the doorstep.
Mr Wilson went inside briefly, but when he returned to the door he was gunned down.
The reinvestigation
The Operation Sabine team are examining all evidence gathered over the past two decades.
The officers will also investigate new opportunities for fresh lines of enquiry, such as advances in technology and forensic testing.
Around 10,000 documents, including approximately 6,000 statements are being re-examined, along with nearly 14,000 actions carried out by police since the shooting.
Family complaints
Mr Wilson’s family has in the past been critical of Police Scotland’s handling of the case, lodging an official complaint in December 2023.
And then in September last year, they said they had lost confidence in the “incompetent” force as they branded Chief Constable Jo Farrell “callous” for refusing to speak to them.
At the time Ch Supt Chow defended her boss’s decision, saying the chief constable instead wanted the new team to rebuild the relationship.
Speaking to Sky News in December, Mr Wilson’s son Andrew said the family continued to feel “let down” and had no confidence police will ever catch the killer.
First Minister John Swinney met the family in January this year.
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Mrs Wilson said at the time: “I was extremely grateful to John Swinney for meeting with myself and Andrew and engaging with us over the ongoing investigation.
“It is welcome that he agreed to look into issues that we brought to his attention and come back to us in due course.
“That is in sharp contrast to the chief constable, who continues to refuse to meet with myself and our family.
“We find that deeply insulting and hope that she will urgently reconsider.
“We will not stop demanding answers and it was pleasing to have the opportunity to raise them with the first minister.”
