Martin Hamilton murder: victim last seen in April

The 53-year-old was last seen about lunchtime on Thursday 16th April in Great Western Road in Glasgow. Enquiries carried out so far indicate that he may have died a short time after that.

His remains were discovered by a dog walker in a remote area of woodland near to West Calder on Thursday 17th December. A post mortem examination established that he suffered serious injuries which are believed to have led to his death.

Detective Superintendent Kenny Graham, who is leading the inquiry, said there are two groups of people he wants to speak to.

“Firstly, we are working to establish his movements on 16th April and shortly thereafter,” he said. “He was last sighted in the west end of Glasgow, and I’m keen to hear from anyone who may have seen him or has information about where he went after this.

“The area where his remains were found are fairly remote but can be accessed from the B7015 near to the Five Sisters Business Park. I also want to speak to anyone who may have been in this area on or shortly after 16th April who may remember seeing any vehicles or persons out of the ordinary. Any information, however insignificant it may seem, may be extremely important to our investigation.”

To help jog memories, Thursday 16th April 2015 was a few days after the wedding of Andy Murray and Kim Sears. Around this time the fixtures for the split of the top and bottom of the Scottish Premier League were announced, and it was the run up to the UK General Election. Jess Glynne was top of the charts with “Hold My Hand” and Fast and Furious 7 was the big movie at the cinema.

Police and various scientific experts continue to work at the scene near to West Calder, conducting a detailed examination and search of the area. Specially trained officers are providing support to Martin Hamilton’s family as inquiries progress.

Anyone with information should contact the Major Investigation Team at Livingston on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.