RECAP: The trial that finally convicted Inverness double murderer William MacDowell of deaths of Renee and Andrew MacRae in 1976
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William MacDowell’s court case and subsequent conviction was the result of determined police efforts to deliver justice to the family of Renee and Andrew MacRae following more than 40 years of anguish.
Over the course of three weeks last year, the High Court in Inverness heard from multiple witnesses – both living and now deceased.
In the case of the latter their evidence was read into the record posthumously by others.
Early on the in proceedings the court heard from Catherine Johnstone who lived near the lay-by at Dalnagarry on the A9 where Mrs MacRae’s blue BMW was later found ablaze.
She said her mother heard a “blood-curdling scream” from the area on the night the mother and son were last seen.
Mrs MacRae’s estranged husband Gordon also gave evidence about her and her son’s disappearance.
He denied all knowledge of what had happened to the mother and son, having fired MacDowell – who worked as an accountant for his building firm – three days after they went missing, after discovering his affair with wife.
Mrs MacRae’s sister Morag Govans, a retired nurse, was also called to the witness stand, saying she knew that something was seriously wrong when Renee missed their usual weekly phone call.
Mrs Govans confirmed that a close friend of her sister had told her that MacDowell was Andrew’s father.
The trial also heard that MacDowell had been seen scrubbing out the boot of his car in the aftermath of Renee and Andrew’s disappearance and posthumous evidence was heard from a career criminal who claimed he had been asked to kill Mrs MacRae.
MacDowell attended court in a wheelchair and did not give evidence in his own defence, but his wife Rosemary was called to the stand.
The court heard she had taken her husband out of a police interview in December 1976 after he attended asking to speak to officers.
And in 1987, when she was questioned by police reinvestigating the case, she provided him with an alibi.
She told the court that he had arrived home at between 8pm and 8.30pm on November 12, 1976, the day Mrs MacRae and Andrew disappeared.
When police questioned her about these timings – which related to what was showing on television at the time – the court heard she told them then: “I don’t know what you are getting on to me for, I never stabbed her or whatever happened to her.”
Ultimately the jury found MacDowell guilty of two counts of murder and of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
As he was taken away to jail following the verdict he shared a look with his wife but showed no emotion or regret at his fate.
As we now know police also failed to persuade him to give any more details after he was sentenced to serve a minimum of 30 years.
