A man with “staring, wide eyes” was seen beside a clothed object that was draped over a pushchair on the night Renee MacRae and her son Andrew went missing, a murder trial has been told.
The mystery man was spotted by a passenger in a car that was driving along the A9 on November 12 1976, close to where Renee and her three-year-old son disappeared.
Renee’s secret lover and the father of Andrew, former Inverness man William MacDowell, denies murdering both of them at the Dalmagarry lay-by that night.
Jean Wallace, now deceased, gave a statement to police and sections of it were read out on day seven of his murder trial at the High Court in Inverness.
Mrs Wallace told officers how she was about 100 yards away from the Dalmagarry lay-by, where Mrs MacRae’s burnt-out BMW was found and they could smell burning rubber at about 7.40pm.
She said: “I saw in the headlights of a car a couple with a pushchair. But as I got closer, it was only a man.
“He was bending over a push-chair with its hood-up and one arm supporting some stuff heaped on and around the pram.
“I got the impression something brown was involved. Whatever was on it appeared to have clothing over it and was hanging over the pushchair.
“The man looked directly at me. His eyes were wide and staring and I would have said caused by fear or panic.
“He was in his late 30s, dark hair, short back and sides and was wearing what appeared to be a blue anorak.
“I may have seen more but for the fact this man with staring eyes frightened me and I looked away.”
MacDowell denies killings
Her statement – which was read to the jury by Detective Chief Inspector Brian Geddes, who led a massive re-investigation into their disappearance – added that she was concerned that the man would recognise her.
MacDowell is also accused of disposing of Renee and Andrew’s bodies, burning the car, destroying other evidence, and disposing of items including a blue cross pushchair and a Volvo estate boot hatch.
MacDowell has lodged special defences of alibi, claiming he was elsewhere in Inverness that night and blames Renee’s building company director husband Gordon for the murders.
The jury heard that MacDowell was interviewed several times by police and on two occasions was “worried, dejected and tired” in the opinion of Detective Chief Inspector Donald MacArthur, who has also since died.
DCI MacArthur also recalled MacDowell being physically sick but said that he consistently denied any involvement in the suspected murders.
MacDowell: ‘I deny any association with Mrs MacRae’
DCI Geddes then read out four different statements given by MacDowell within a week of the disappearance.
On the morning of Monday November 15, he told police: “I deny any association with Mrs MacRae.”
Later the same day, MacDowell was interviewed again and admitted being involved with Mrs MacRae romantically.
He went into detail about how they would have sex sometimes twice a week at various locations around Inverness.
“We spoke of going away to Shetland and Rannoch Lodge but I was only joking,” he said.
In a further statement on November 18, MacDowell again said they talked about going away for the weekend on the Friday or Saturday “but there was nothing definite.”
Then he told police “an arrangement was made to meet her about 5pm to 6pm near her house. But I could not because of my work, I did not keep the appointment”.
In the same statement, MacDowell continued: “I always had to lie to her. If she had her way, it would be every weekend. That is why I kept telling her lies – leading her on.”
Figure seen hiding behind Volvo
It was also disclosed that “a heavy deposit of blood the size of a half crown” was found in the boot of Renee’s BMW.
Earlier today, the trial was told about a mysterious figure seen trying to hide behind a Volvo estate car a few hundred yards away from where Renee and Andrew disappeared.
Retired civil engineer John Bissett said he was driving with a work colleague along the Shenachie single-track road, which borders the A9 below the Dalmagarry lay-by around 7.30pm to 7.45pm.
He said: “It was unusual to see other traffic on that road at that time of night. There was a small bridge over a stream and in the distance we saw a light. There was a small passing place 300 yards from the junction and a car was in it.
“As we approached we saw a person or persons at the back of the car and seemed to be hiding. They didn’t want us to see what they were doing. We assumed it was poachers.
“We couldn’t tell if it was a male or female but we got the impression that it was a man because of the size. He ducked down and then moved to the side.”
Mr Bissett said that at first he thought it was a BMW but later identified a Volvo estate.
The court has already been told MacDowell owned a two-year-old Volvo estate at the time.
Garage boss Fergus Ewart told the jury that this occurred after Renee and Andrew went missing and an invoice for December 8 1976 was produced.
The trial, before Lord Armstrong, continues.
