Merchiston murder is third gay death in a month

The body of Roger Gray, 64, a retired lecturer, was discovered lying in the hallway of his home in the city's upmarket Merchiston Crescent at 8am on Saturday, after police broke down his door following reports of a gas leak.

A post-mortem examination yesterday revealed that Mr Gray had suffered multiple stab wounds in what was described as a "sustained attack".

Mr Gray, who lectured in statistics at the city's Heriot-Watt University until he retired about four years ago, had lived alone for the past 12 years at his Merchiston flat.

Detectives last night said there was nothing indicating a link between the three men who died, but added that they were keeping an open mind. Mr Gray was last seen alive by a neighbour on Friday afternoon. However, there were reports of a disturbance inside his flat at 10pm that night.

Yesterday, neighbour John Brown, whose bedroom is below that of Mr Gray, said he had become so disturbed by the noises coming from Mr Gray's flat that he had thought about contacting the police.

Mr Brown said: "I heard loud moaning and groaning and banging noises coming from his bedroom window. I could also hear footsteps. I could hear it over the sound of the television.

• Three cases with two factors in common: city and sexuality

"It was that loud we thought about phoning the police. But we decided not to because it stopped after about half an hour."

He said he could hear only one voice making the sounds during the disturbance.

Mr Gray's death follows those of John Carter, 44, in Leith, and a man in Pilton, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Blair, who is leading the investigation, said: "The post-mortem examination has confirmed Mr Gray suffered extensive stabbing injuries, in what was clearly a sustained attack.

"We are asking anyone who was in the area of Merchiston Crescent overnight from Friday night into Saturday morning, and who saw or heard any suspicious activity in the area, to contact us.

"In particular, we want to speak to anyone who may have heard a disturbance from within Mr Gray's flat around 10pm."We recognise the potential concerns that these tragic deaths may have caused within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual community, and we are making contact with LGBT groups and organisations in order to provide them with reassurance and advice."

DCI Blair added that police were keen to build up a detailed picture of Mr Gray's background and that a confidential hotline number had been set up,

John Hein, editor of ScotsGay magazine, said: "Obviously people are concerned.

"Our advice is that people should always be aware of their personal safety and make sure that if they are meeting anyone new, who they don't know, they do so in a public place - something which is true for everyone, whatever their sexuality."

It previously emerged that the Mr Gray's flat had been locked from the inside in an attempt to delay any rescue attempt.