Timeline: The Arlene Fraser case
- Published
The disappearance of mother-of-two Arlene Fraser in Elgin, Moray, has consistently captured Scottish news headlines since 1998.
This is how the events have unfolded in the case, which has seen her husband Nat twice being found guilty of her murder.
28 April 1998
Arlene Fraser goes missing after waving her children off to school.
Grampian Police officers say they are baffled by her disappearance.
A major search is then launched for the missing mother-of-two.
<link> <caption>Search for missing mother stepped up</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/87207.stm" platform="highweb"/> </link>
27 October 1998
The senior detective investigating the disappearance says he believes Arlene Fraser is dead and the victim of "something criminal".
Det Ch Insp Peter Simpson says officers had found no evidence that she was still alive.
<link> <caption>Police fear missing mother is dead</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/201836.stm" platform="highweb"/> </link>
1 October 1999
The Crown Office says an indictment has been served on Arlene's husband, Nat Fraser.
<link> <caption>Missing woman's husband faces charges </caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/463309.stm" platform="highweb"/> </link>
1 March 2000
Nat Fraser is jailed for 18 months for earlier assaulting his wife, who at this stage has been missing for almost two years. Mr Fraser is sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh after previously admitting a reduced charge of compressing his wife Arlene's neck to the danger of her life.
<link> <caption>Arlene husband jailed</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/662282.stm" platform="highweb"/> </link>
26 April 2002
Three men are indicted for Mrs Fraser's murder. The Crown Office says the men involved are Arlene's estranged husband Nat Fraser, his friend Hector Dick and English businessman Glenn Lucas. They are all charged with conspiring to murder Mrs Fraser, murdering her and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
<link> <caption>Husband charged with Arlene murder</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1954059.stm" platform="highweb"/> </link>
7 January 2003
The trial of the three men accused begins. It hears that she disappeared on the day she was due to see a solicitor about a divorce.
<link> <caption>Arlene murder trial opens</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2635289.stm" platform="highweb"/> </link>
29 January 2003
The jury finds Nat Fraser guilty of murdering his wife, and he is jailed for life.
<link> <firstCreated>2003-01-29T15:34:15+00:00</firstCreated> <lastUpdated>2003-01-29T16:34:17+00:00</lastUpdated> <caption>Husband guilty of Arlene murder </caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2706003.stm" platform="highweb"/> </link>
6 May 2005
Nat Fraser is allowed to appeal against his conviction for killing Arlene.
<link> <firstCreated>2005-05-06T09:53:48+00:00</firstCreated> <lastUpdated>2005-05-06T11:27:13+00:00</lastUpdated> <caption>Wife killer wins right to appeal</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4520823.stm" platform="highweb"/> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/scotland/4520823.stm" platform="enhancedmobile"/> </link>
6 May 2008
Nat Fraser loses his appeal against a life jail term.
<link> <firstCreated>2008-05-06T09:25:03+00:00</firstCreated> <lastUpdated>2008-05-06T12:11:20+00:00</lastUpdated> <caption>Fraser loses Arlene murder appeal</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7361103.stm" platform="highweb"/> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/scotland/north_east/7361103.stm" platform="enhancedmobile"/> </link>
3 Oct 2008
Nat Fraser announces plans to ask judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal if he can appeal to the Privy Council in London.
<link> <firstCreated>2008-10-03T15:47:10+00:00</firstCreated> <lastUpdated>2008-10-03T15:47:05+00:00</lastUpdated> <caption>Nat Fraser in fresh murder appeal</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7651409.stm" platform="highweb"/> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/scotland/north_east/7651409.stm" platform="enhancedmobile"/> </link>
24 Mar 2009
Court of Criminal Appeal judges refuse his bid to appeal to the Privy Council in London.
<link> <firstCreated>2009-03-24T11:35:00+00:00</firstCreated> <lastUpdated>2009-03-24T12:02:00+00:00</lastUpdated> <caption>Nat Fraser wife murder plea fails</caption> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7960919.stm" platform="highweb"/> <url href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/scotland/north_east/7960919.stm" platform="enhancedmobile"/> </link>
31 May 2010
Nat Fraser plans to challenge his conviction at the Supreme Court in London.
<link> <firstCreated>2010-05-31T11:49:05+00:00</firstCreated> <lastUpdated>2010-05-31T11:49:05+00:00</lastUpdated> <caption>Arlene killer to make new appeal</caption> <url href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10197840" platform="highweb"/> <url href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/10197840" platform="enhancedmobile"/> </link>
25 May 2011
Nat Fraser wins his appeal to have his conviction quashed.
<link> <firstCreated>2011-05-24T23:24:37+00:00</firstCreated> <lastUpdated>2011-05-25T09:30:48+00:00</lastUpdated> <caption>Fraser wins Arlene murder appeal</caption> <url href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13534802" platform="highweb"/> <url href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13534802" platform="enhancedmobile"/> </link>
23 April 2012
Nat Fraser goes on trial again charged with his wife's murder. For legal reasons, it cannot be reported that it is a re-trial.
<itemMeta>news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-17812392</itemMeta>
30 May 2012
Nat Fraser is found guilty, for the second time, of his wife's murder.
<itemMeta>news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18247944</itemMeta>
- Published30 May 2012