Police find DNA lead in 1983 Aberdeen taxi driver murder

George Murdoch with wife Jessie, who died in 2004

Forty years on from the murder of an Aberdeen taxi driver, police say they have made their most significant development in the case to date.

George Murdoch, also known as Dod, was found dead beside his taxi in Pitfodels Station Road in Aberdeen on 29 September, 1983.

A cheese wire had been used as a garrotte during the attack.

Police have revealed they now have what they believe is the DNA profile of the 58-year-old's killer.

Det Insp Callander says he believes the case can be solved

Det Insp James Callander said they are using the DNA to check "persons of interest" that have emerged over the four decades..

"The forensic scientists have managed to develop this profile from various crime scene material. A lot of names came to the fore over those 40 years. Obviously never a suspect but people we would class as persons of interest," he said.

"We've been able to eliminate most people that have come into the inquiry. It's now at a natural time where we need the public's help."

The DNA profile is male but police warn that it alone will not solve the crime. They need to find a match to the sample and are now appealing for help from the public, including people who may suspect they were related to the murderer.

Det Insp Callander said: "Forty years on the chances are the male responsible could be dead, so we're looking at sons and daughters who maybe had suspicions over the years that their father was responsible to come forward.

"We can take a simple DNA swab and we can compare that to give peace of mind to the family to say your father isn't responsible."

• New leads after TV appeal on brutal 1983 murder

• Mystery of cheese wire killer re-examined

George Murdoch picked up a passenger in Aberdeen's west end at 20:35 on Thursday 29 September 1983. He told his control room he was heading to Culter, on the western edge of the city.

About two miles into the journey he turned off onto Pitfodels Station Road, where the attack took place. Two young cyclists saw him being attacked by a man and raised the alarm, but when police officers arrived it was too late. They found the cheese wire garotte nearby.

A replica of the cheese wire believed to have been used that night

His wife, Jessie, died in 2004 but his family have never given up hope that his killer will be caught.

His nephew, Alex McKay, told BBC Scotland News his uncle was a "hardworking, happy, normal man."

He said: "Forty years is a long time to go without all of the answers to what happened to him, but it's never too late to see justice served and we urge anyone with any information that could assist the investigation, no matter what it is, to contact police," he said.

Family appeal

Appealing to anyone who may have information, he said: "We desperately need you to come forward. We know that's hard and we recognise that but you know it's what you feel in your own heart, how you're going to live with yourself. I don't think you could go to your own grave holding on to information like that."

Mr McKay added he "genuinely" believes the case will be solved.

Earlier this year, police made an appeal to find a man seen in Wilson's Sports Bar on Market Street in Aberdeen in September 2015.

He was wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt and is described as being small, stocky, in his 60 or 70s and local to Aberdeen.

Police have confirmed the man is not a suspect but simply someone who may have "significant information".

A £50,000 reward is being offered for any information in relation to the case.

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland.