Doorstep murder: Witness in Canada interviewed over Alistair Wilson shooting

Alistair Wilson was 30 years old when he was shot on the doorstep of his family home in Nairn

Detectives investigating the unsolved murder of a father-of-two in the Highlands 17 years ago have interviewed a witness in Canada.

Alistair Wilson was shot on the doorstep of his home in Nairn on the evening of 28 November 2004.

The 30-year-old bank manager later died in hospital.

Police Scotland said major investigation team officers travelled to Nova Scotia last week to carry out witness interviews.

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Det Supt Graeme Mackie said: "Police Scotland is working closely with colleagues in Nova Scotia to carry out witness interviews as part of the investigation.

"More than 17 years have passed since Alistair was fatally shot on the doorstep of his home, but time is no barrier to justice.

"We remain committed to ensuring the person responsible for his murder is brought to justice so that we can give his family the answers they deserve."

Mr Wilson was shot at about 19:00 after his wife Veronica answered the door to his killer - a stocky man wearing a baseball cap - who asked for Alistair Wilson.

Mr Wilson, who had been reading his sons a bedtime story, went to the door to speak to the man and was handed an empty blue envelope with the word Paul written on it.

He was then shot with a German-made handgun. The weapon was later found in a drain by a council road sweeper near to the scene.

A massive police inquiry was launched at the time, but no-one has been apprehended and detectives continue to investigate the case.

The murderer was described in 2004 as being a man aged between 30 and 40 years old, with a stocky build and approximately 5ft 4in to 5ft 7in tall.

A young Andrew Wilson with his father Alistair, mother Veronica and younger brother

In 2020, the Wilsons' son Andrew - who was aged just four at the time of the murder - appealed for help in catching his father's killer.

He said the only memory he had of his father was seeing him lying on the ground moments after being shot.

Andrew said at the time: "I still cannot believe how someone could shoot my dad dead on our doorstep while my brother and I were upstairs.

"Photographs are all I have and no family should suffer the way we have all these years."

Police have taken thousands of statements since the start of the investigation.

The early months of the inquiry involved a plea to people in Nairn and the surrounding area to voluntarily give DNA samples.

Tests on the gun failed to extract any DNA.

The Haenel Suhl pocket pistol is from the 1930s and police believe the weapon was likely to have been taken to the UK after World War Two as some form of souvenir.

The ammunition used in the killing was from the 1980s or 90s.

Anyone with information is asked to telephone 101, quoting reference 0515 of 4 March, 2022, or they can e-mail a dedicated inbox at [e-mail]