Student's family say suicide pact theory is 'totally unbelievable'

Published on Sunday 13 June 2010 23:23

THE family of one of the two Edinburgh University students found dead in a hotel room spoke of their heartache yesterday and said they did not believe they had died in a suicide pact.

• Robert Miller had a summer placement with Citibank in London

Robert Miller, from Finstown, and Jim Robertson, from Stromness, both Orkney, were initially thought to have taken their own lives, when discovered last Wednesday morning in the hotel room in Ayr. Strathclyde police are investigating the cause of their deaths.

Mr Miller's parents, James and Christine, of Heddle Road, Finstown, travelled to Ayrshire after being contacted by police, and now claim the young men would not have contemplated suicide.

In a statement yesterday, the Millers said: "We are devastated at the news of Robert and Jim's deaths and are trying to come to terms with the loss of two wonderful lads of immense charm and ability.

"We were initially told they had probably taken their own lives and we found this totally unbelievable. They had everything to live for, they were happy and had made plans for the future. Robert had just secured a summer placement with Citibank in London and had arranged accommodation. He could not wait to get down there later this month.

"The police have been excellent and their investigation is on going, but there are a number of indications that this was a tragic accident and not a 'suicide pact', as reported in some national newspapers. The police have told us that they have found no evidence of the boys broadcasting their deaths on the internet."

The couple are directors of the company which owns the Orcadian newspaper, and released the statement through the paper yesterday.

Robert and James are believed to have used a device linked to a laptop to give themselves lethal doses of medication. It was reported that they might even have used a webcam to record their deaths and post footage on the internet.

The pair, who were both in their early twenties, were described last night by people in Orkney as "friendly young men" who had been close friends since childhood.

Residents in their island communities were still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy last night, with many at a loss to understand why such "bright lads" might take their own lives. It is believed both men were studying maths and physics.

Many were too upset to speak about the tragedy, but a friend said: "The tragedy is especially hard to believe because Jim and Robert were two of the cleverest people in school. I just don't understand it because they had so many friends."

Their bodies were discovered in a room at the Ramada Jarvis hotel in Ayr. Strathclyde Police said they were investigating the men's deaths, but were not treating them as suspicious.

Mr Robertson's parents, Barbara and William, of South End, Stromness, travelled to the mainland after their son's body was discovered by hotel staff.

Stromness councillor Ian Johnstone said last night: "Everyone is just absolutely stunned. They were very well known in the local community and I think most people here would have known them, or knows someone who knew them.

"One of the boys went to the same school as my son, so when we heard the news it hit our family very hard. They were good guys and they will be very badly missed."

The two men arrived at the hotel at Ayr on Tuesday and were said to have been "happy and chatty" when they spoke to staff. When they missed their check-out time the following day, an employee went to their room and found them dead, slumped in chairs facing each other.