Home   News   Article

Detectives investigating murder of Highland banker Alistair Wilson following new handgun lead


By Val Sweeney

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!
Banker Alistair Wilson was shot on the doorstep of his home in Nairn in 2004.
Banker Alistair Wilson was shot on the doorstep of his home in Nairn in 2004.

Detectives investigating the murder of Alistair Wilson at his home in Nairn more than than 17 years ago have issued an appeal for information about two men seen with a handgun on a nearby beach a month before the fatal shooting.

Following recent appeals for information by Police Scotland, a witness has reported seeing two men, one aged in his 20s and the other between 40 and 60 years old on East Beach.

The witness has said the younger man was in possession of a handgun.

The incident occurred in the month before Mr Wilson’s murder in November 2004.

Despite the passing years, Police Scotland says it remains committed to bringing his killer to justice and officers recently travelled to Canada to carry out witness interviews in Nova Scotia.

In a new appeal for information, Detective Superintendent Graeme Mackie, of Police Scotland’s major investigation team, said officers were seeking the public’s help in identifying the two men seen on a beach.

Det Supt Mackie said: “We are following up this new information and I would ask anyone with information, or who may be able to identify the men, to please come forward and speak with us.

“This potential sighting was passed to officers following recent publicity around the case and I am grateful for the positive response we have received from the local community.

“As I have said recently, time is no barrier to justice. More than 17 years have passed since Alistair’s murder, but Police Scotland is committed to bringing his killer to justice and providing the family with the answers they deserve.

“Someone out there knows what happened to Alistair and developments in the investigation over the last few weeks are a vital reminder that it is never too late to come forward with information, no matter how small or insignificant you may think it is.”

Following a recent review of witness accounts, further analysis of timings from the night in question and investigative developments, officers altered the description of the man they want to trace in connection with Alistair’s murder.

Detectives believe the man who shot Alistair on his doorstep to have been aged between 20 and 40 years old at the time.

This would mean he is now aged in his mid-30s to almost 60 years old.

He was approximately 5ft 7in tall and was wearing a baseball cap and jacket.

Previous appeals described the gunman as being between 30 and 40 years old.

Mr Wilson was shot around 7pm on Sunday, 28 November 2004 after a man called at the family’s home on Crescent Road in Nairn, spoke to his wife Veronica who answered the door and asked for her husband by name.

Mr Wilson went downstairs to speak to the man and was handed a blue envelope with the word “Paul” on it.

He went inside briefly and then returned to the door for a second time when he was fatally shot.

Anyone who believes they can assist police is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 515 of 4 March 2022 and Operation Sorn or you can e-mail a dedicated inbox at SCDHOLMESAberdeen@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Alistair Wilson murder investigation detectives follow new lead in Canada


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More