Police vow never to stop the hunt for Renee MacRae's killer
A POLICE chief in the Renee MacRae murder investigation firmly believes there is someone out there that holds the "golden nugget" of information that could crack the case after 40 years.
Detective Superintendent Jim Smith, of the police major investigations team north, implored anyone with information to come forward.
"We are using this anniversary to bring the case back into the public eye, and we would urge anyone with any information, no matter how trivial it might seem, to get in touch," he said.
"Allegiances change and if someone is holding back a secret please come forward, in confidence if necessary.
"This case will never be closed until we get some resolution.
"Someone out there has the information we need and I would appeal to that individual to come forward before more time passes.
"We implore them to come forward. We really need to get that golden nugget of information."
Det Supt Smith said they had all but ruled out the Dalmagarry spot on the A9 near where Mrs MacRae’s BMW car was found ablaze on the night she disappeared.
Despite this they will be liaising with contractors who will be soon working on dualling the A9 there, and they will check out what caused the "anomaly" in a radar probe.
When the case hit the headlines it unveiled how Mrs MacRae was involved in a love affair with married man Bill MacDowell, company secretary of her estranged husband Gordon’s Inverness-based building firm.
Mrs MacRae left her bungalow home in Cradlehall with her two sons Andrew (3) and Gordon (9) and dropped off her elder son with her husband.
Neither she nor the youngest boy were seen again.
Her burned out BMW was found at Dalmagarry with blood in the boot, but their luggage has never been traced. A friend revealed that Mrs MacRae was planning a weekend away with her secret lover Mr MacDowell.
Mr MacDowell, who lived not far from Mrs MacRae, revealed to the press he was the father of missing Andrew, and that he planned to end the affair.
The MacRae family yesterday issued a public plea.
It read: "As a family we remain collectively heartbroken to have lost a much-loved and cherished mother, sister, brother and friend.
"We cannot give up hope that somebody holds information which could help lead us to the answers as to what happened.
"Our message is it is never too late. We are confident these answers will come from the local community.
"Until such time the person who caused harm to Renee and Andrew will continue to escape justice and we will be without closure."
