Renee MacRae: Trial told of 123 reported sightings after disappearance

Renee MacRae and her young son Andrew disappeared in 1976

A murder trial has heard police received 123 reported sightings of a woman after she and her son disappeared in 1976 - but all were eliminated.

William MacDowell, 80, denies murdering Renee MacRae, 36, and their three-year-old son Andrew MacRae in the Highlands.

Det Con Martin Murphy said locations of reported sightings of Mrs MacRae included Zurich and Portsmouth.

He said the conclusion of his investigations was that Mrs MacRae and her son were dead.

Mr MacDowell, 80, of Penrith, Cumbria, has been accused of murdering Mrs MacRae and their son at a lay-by on the A9 at Dalmagarry, south of Inverness, or elsewhere on 12 November 1976.

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He has also been accused of disposing of their bodies and setting fire to a BMW car.

Mr MacDowell denies the charges and his lawyers have lodged special defences of incrimination and alibi.

The defence claims Mrs MacRae's estranged husband Gordon MacRae committed the offences together with persons unknown.

Andrew MacRae was three when he disappeared

The High Court in Inverness heard that Det Con Murphy was tasked with compiling a comprehensive proof of life report as part of a recent reinvestigation of the case.

He concluded the mother and son were dead after checks with HMRC, pensions, DVLA, the passport office and banks and finding no evidence of either having been in contact.

Mr Murphy confirmed to defence counsel Murray Macara KC that there were more than 120 reported sightings of Mrs MacRae alive since 12 November 1976 but all were eliminated.

Some included a similar mother and child being seen with a man with a "Mexican moustache".

The court heard previously that police had devoted resources early in the initial inquiry to looking for this man and created a photo-fit.

Det Ch Insp Brian Geddes said the sightings had been investigated and ruled out.

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Mr Macara raised the matter again and asked Mr Murphy to read out several sections of statements and police log book entries referring to the man.

Mr Murphy again confirmed they had either been ruled out without inquiry or eliminated after checking.

A forensic scientist of 32 years' experience and an expert in blood splatter, Christopher Gannicliffe, was the final Crown witness.

He said the blood deposit in Mrs MacRae's BMW boot could have been caused by someone receiving a blow to the head and falling partly into the boot.

"That is one explanation." he added.

Asked if it could have come from a bleeding nose, he said the 8ml of blood, or one and a half teaspoons, would have required 150 drips.

Asked by Mr Macara if he could tell when it was caused, he agreed he could not and that it could have been much earlier.

The trial before Lord Armstrong continues.