The Quarry | Murder Trial: The Disappearance of Renee and Andrew MacRae | BBC Scotland

[@ruthmackenzie1105]

Why did it take 45 years to bring Bill Macdowell to trial?

[@Highland_Moo]

Pretty grim eh. I was born in 1977 near the Isle of Skye and didn’t hear about this tragedy until the last time the investigation was opened. My mum was from Inverness and was 10 years younger than Renee, so she knew all about it. Pretty shameful of MacDowell not to give Renee’s, (and Gordon’s), family some closure by revealing where he disposed of his own child and lover. His wife should be hounded until she says where they are - she knew that Renee had been stabbed and she most definitely knows where they are. Unfortunately, she’s as despicable as he was. I’m just glad that at least some tiny bit of justice was had in his conviction. I’m glad Detectives got there in the end with MacDowell’s conviction. I guess with the evidence being pretty much circumstantial, (although it all leads to MacDowell and MacDowell alone), Northern Constabulary just didn’t have the techniques available in the decades leading up to last years trial. Look at the poor MacLeod family up in Wick - their son Kevin was 24 when he died after falling, (or being pushed), into the harbour. They felt the police did very little in the way of investigation and a witness claimed 2 police officers watched Kevin fall into the water…..as an ex emergency responder myself I find that almost impossible to believe, but it took countless hours of investigation by an English police force reinvestigating both the death of Kevin and the work Northern Constabulary did in the hours, days, weeks and years of his untimely death. So, I can see why it took so long to get William MacDowell, the clear suspect in this awful case, into court and eventually found guilty by a jury. I’m glad the BBC filmed the court case and the eventual outcome, but I wish they’d run another couple of episodes showing the investigation and reconstructions from 1976 up until November last year. I can find very little of that footage and I guess it’s morbid curiosity that leads me to want to see how the disappearance of a mother and her toddler was investigated back when all police had to go on was their own experience and hunches combined with crude investigation techniques. Apologies for hijacking your comment…..I’ve just had 3 cups of coffee after a third night of little sleep and I’m just typing what pops into my head lol!

[@ajs41]

@@Highland_Moo Thanks for the interesting comment mj9689. I'm just watching the programme on BBC2 at the moment. Episode 2. Never heard of this case before.

[@ALLgood-jq5ng]

Sadly he was able to evade justice for so long because his flint-hearted wife gave him an alibi and forever after lied and lied and lied. Without doubt she knew what he had done and may even have been involved in the dreadful event. This morally bankrupt pair have hopefully lived a miserable life together in the subsequent decades.

[@wtf_is_a_handle696]

Theres no solid evidence, but I still finished it feeling kind of suprised the verdict was guilty in the end.