Blood found in the car boot of missing Renee MacRae’s BMW could have been caused by someone receiving a blow to the head, an expert has told a jury.
Forensic scientist Christopher Gannicliffe was the final witness for the Crown in its prosecution of William MacDowell, 80, who denies murdering his secret lover and their three-year-old son Andrew.
Mr Gannicliffe drew on his 32 years of experience as he explained to the High Court in Inverness how the blood deposit may have entered the boot.
The blood spatter expert said that someone receiving a blow to the head and falling partly into the boot may be “one explanation”.
Asked if it could have come from a bleeding nose, he said the eight millilitres of blood, or one and a half teaspoons, would have required 150 drips.
Asked by MacDowell’s counsel Murray MacAra KC if he could tell when it was caused, he agreed he couldn’t tell and that it could have been much earlier than the night the pair vanished.
On the ninth day of the murder trial, jurors heard that the blood was assumed to belong to the missing 36-year-old housewife, Mrs MacRae.
DNA analysis showed only 1 in 1,000 million people shared the same profile, the court was told.
The fact was jointly agreed by prosecutor Alex Prentice KC and defence counsel Murray McAra KC.
Jurors also heard that Detective Constable Martin Murphy compiled a comprehensive proof of life report based upon investigations carried out by him and colleagues in the most recent re-investigation.
He concluded that, after checks with HMRC, pensions, DVLA, passport office and banks, as there was no evidence of either Mrs MacRae or Andrew having been in contact, they were both dead.
Man with Mexican moustache
Mr Murphy confirmed to MacDowell’s counsel, Murray MacAra KC that there were 123 reported sightings of Mrs MacRae alive since November 12 1976 but all were eliminated.
These were in locations like Zurich, Portpatrick, Kyle, Portsmouth and Aberdeen.
Some included a similar mother and child with a man with a Mexican moustache.
The court heard previously that police had devoted resources early in the initial enquiry to looking for such an individual and created a photo-fit.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Brian Geddes said they had been investigated and ruled out.
Mr McAra raised the matter again and had Mr Murphy read out several sections of statements and police log book entries referring to the mystery man.
Mr Murphy again confirmed they had either been ruled out without enquiry or eliminated after checking.
‘I did and I didn’t’ kill Renee
Earlier, on the last day of the Crown’s case against MacDowell, the court was told that his handyman at one time had asked his employer: “Was it you that done Renee MacRae?”
Convicted Lanarkshire safecracker Mitchell Yuill, now deceased, gave a statement to police in October 1987, saying MacDowell had replied: “I did and I didn’t”.
MacDowell denies killing Renee and Andrew MacRae at a lay-by on the A9 near Dalmagarry, or elsewhere, on November 12 1976.
He is also accused of disposing of their bodies, burning Renee’s BMW, destroying other evidence and disposing of items including a blue cross pushchair and a Volvo estate boot hatch.
The accused denies the charges and has lodged special defences of alibi – claiming he was elsewhere in Inverness that night – and blames Mrs MacRae’s building company director husband Gordon for the alleged murders.
The trial, before Lord Armstrong, continues.
Murder accused told handyman: ‘I did and I didn’t’ kill Renee MacRae, court hears
