Police examine item found near murder probe quarry

Police are examining an item discovered near a quarry which has been at the centre of investigations into the murders of a mother and son almost 50 years ago.

Renee MacRae's BMW was found on fire in a lay-by near Dalmagarry Quarry, south of Inverness, on 12 November 1976, but her body, and that of her three year-old son, Andrew, have never been found.

William MacDowell, 81, was convicted of their murders in 2022. He died in February 2023, with Police Scotland issuing another appeal for information later that year in an attempt to locate the bodies.

Renee MacRae, 36, and three-year-old Andrew. Picture: PA

Now, the Inverness Courier has reported that a child’s potty and a length of carpet have been found at a site around a mile south the lay-by, near the A9.

It reported that road workers employed by Balfour Beatty to dual the Inverness to Perth route between Tomatin and Moy made the discovery earlier this month as they excavated and cleared the site of trees and thick undergrowth.

In a statement, Police Scotland said: "On 13 March officers attended the A9 near Dalmagarry after an item was recovered. The item is being examined and further inquiries are ongoing."

The force said it had no further comment to make on the discovery.

The Inverness Courier reported that before the road works began, police provided contractors with a list of “possible evidence” to look out for, including a yellow child’s potty, a suitcase, pushchair, and a coat.

William MacDowell was convicted of the murders of Renee MacRae and her son, Andrew. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire | PA

A source told the newspaper: “The potty and the carpet were lying in dense undergrowth and not buried to my knowledge. The carpet was rolled up.

“I understand the police have asked Balfour Beatty to be alerted if and when any more digging work is to be done in that location.”

The quarry at Dalmagarry was searched during the initial murder investigation. Police returned to the quarry site in 2004, and over the course of three weeks, had 35,0000 tonnes of earth and 2,000 trees excavated and removed at a cost of more than £100,000.

Forensic archaeologists and anthropologists were also brought in to sift through the soil and debris, but found only litter, some men’s clothing and animal bones.

The double disappearance was one of the longest unsolved murder cases in Scottish criminal history.

Lord Armstrong, the judge who presided over MacDowell’s trial, said the murders appeared to have been premeditated and “planned in a most calculating way.”

Sentencing MacDowell at the High Court in Inverness, he told him: “These appear to be in effect executions. You murdered your victims and disposed of their bodies and personal effects, including the boy's pushchair. You then took steps to conceal the crimes you had committed.”

Speaking after the court case, Ms MacRae’s sister, Morag Govans, said the passage of time had not eased the anguish felt by the family, adding: “We have never been able to lay Renee and Andrew to rest or properly mourn their loss. Not knowing where their remains lie only compounds the pain.”