Man named in report into 30-year-old MacRae murder

The dossier has been handed over by Northern Constabulary for consideration by the Highlands' top legal man and the Crown Office.

They will now decide if charges are to be brought against the man who police believe is responsible for the killing of the Inverness housewife and her three-year-old son, Andrew.

It comes in the same week as Bill MacDowell, the man who was once Mrs MacRae's lover, returns to Inverness to bury his mother, 23 days before the 30th anniversary of the unsolved case.

Mr MacDowell, now 63, has lived in London for more than a decade with his wife, Rosemary. Police have said he is "central to the case", but he has never been charged.

The force confirmed last night: "A report has gone to the fiscal in connection with the disappearance of Renee and Andrew MacRae."

They have refused to confirm if Mr MacDowell has been named in the report.

Mrs MacRae's sister, Morag Govans, said: "Obviously, I welcome the news. Anything that helps bring the case forward is helpful, and I hope that there is sufficient in the report for someone to be charged."

Mrs MacRae and Mr MacDowell were secret lovers for several years and Andrew was his son.

Her BMW car was found burning in a lay-by, 12 miles from Inverness and eight miles from Mr MacDowell's then home at Westhill, on the outskirts of the Highland capital.

Mrs MacRae and Andrew have never been found despite extensive searches over the years, including a major excavation of a quarry near the lay-by in 2004.

Det Superintendent Gordon Urquhart said of Mr MacDowell during the search, which was carried out as part of a "cold case" review of the double murder: "He was central to the investigation at the time and is still central to the case."

Although Chief Constable Ian Latimer has said that his force believe it has enough evidence to go to trial, detectives have no plans to talk to Mr MacDowell while he is in Inverness.

He has been interviewed by police, having gone to force headquarters shortly after Mrs MacRae and her son disappeared to give them "significant information", a senior police source confirmed at the time.