A complete reinvestigation has been ordered into the murder of a dad-of-two who was shot on his doorstep 20 years ago.
Alistair Wilson, 30, was shot at his home in Nairn in the Scottish Highlands on November 28, 2004 while his two sons were upstairs.
Despite several appeals for information and numerous lines of inquiry, no arrests have been made since.
A complaint about the handling of the police investigation was made to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner by Mr Wilson’s family in 2023.
On Monday, Scotland’s Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC said a new team of prosecutors will work with officers from Police Scotland to launch a new probe into the murder.
She said: “This was a deeply disturbing crime in which a devastating loss was suffered by Mr Wilson’s family.
“There have been strenuous efforts made over many years to resolve this case and a great deal of evidence has been gathered.
“However, I have decided that it is appropriate for all the details of the case to be considered afresh and for further investigations to be made.
“It is my sincere hope that this secures justice for Alistair Wilson’s family and for the wider community who have been affected by this violent crime.”
What happened?
Mr Wilson’s wife, Veronica, opened the door of the family’s Nairn home at around 7pm to a man who asked for Alistair by name.
The father-of-two came downstairs from reading his sons a bedtime story and was handed a blue envelope with “Paul” written on it.
He went inside for a brief conversation with his wife, and on returning to the door, was shot.
Mr Wilson was taken by ambulance to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness but died shortly after.
Who was Alistair Wilson?
Mr Wilson was born and raised in North Ayrshire, attended Beith Primary and later Garnock Academy in Kilbirnie.
He went on to study accountancy and business law at the University of Stirling before starting work after graduating at the Bank of Scotland.
He was sent to work in Fort William where he met and married his wife, Veronica.
They had two sons. The eldest, Andrew, was four at the time of his father’s murder.
Speaking around the 16th anniversary in 2020, Andrew told of his memories of seeing his dad lying on the doorstep “covered in blood”.
He said: “My dad and I missed out on so many things together, showing me how to tie a tie, driving lessons and taking me for my first pint.
“Nothing can bring my dad back but knowing who did this and why could give us the closure we need.”
Police investigation
Through the years, detectives have followed up numerous lines of inquiry but no one has been prosecuted for the murder.
The gunman was described as 5ft 7in, between 20 and 40 years old, stocky, and wearing a baseball cap and jacket.
Just over a week after Mr Wilson’s murder, a council road sweeper sucked up the murder weapon – a vintage Czech-made automatic pistol – from a drain a mile from the scene.
In 2022, Police Scotland announced it was carrying out witness interviews in Nova Scotia, Canada in relation to the case.
Detectives later revealed they believed his murder was linked to his personal life and not to his employment with the Bank of Scotland.
They said Mr Wilson’s objection to a retrospective planning application for a large decking area outside the Havelock Hotel opposite his home on Crescent Road “may be significant”.
Speaking on the 18th anniversary in 2022, Detective Superintendent Graeme Mackie of Police Scotland said: “The investigation is active and we continue to investigate any new information we receive.
“It cannot be stressed often enough that this crime has left a family devastated and we’re committed to finding the answers and bringing the offender to justice.”
He added: “Our thoughts are with Mr Wilson’s family at this difficult time of the year.”
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