Police in St Lucia hope DNA could be the key to solving the murder of a former Aberdeen hotel manager.
Donnie McKinnon, originally from Lochaber, was shot by two masked men while he was drinking at Steve’s Bar in Soufriere on December 3.
His friend Peter Jackson was also shot and rushed to hospital, but survived.
Mr McKinnon, 48, had been living on the Caribbean island for 13 years.
Previously he had been a manager at the Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen.
Two men were previously arrested in connection with the shooting, but nobody has yet been charged.
Police now say they hope DNA found at the scene will provide some answers and move the investigation forward.
Investigation ongoing
The Daily Express reported a police source saying: “We know how DNA can help solve criminal cases, especially murders. The suspects who were arrested had their DNA taken. It will be sent to the lab in Castries which will help to eliminate or incriminate them from our inquiries.
“We collected evidence from the crime scene and are doing all in our power to bring those responsible to justice.”
Police previously described the shooting as a “sophisticated attack”, prompting questions about if the culprits had come from Europe or the UK.
Mr McKinnon was an estate manager in St Lucia, and it is understood former colleagues and employees have been quizzed amidst claims of workplace unrest.
‘My friend was the target’
Mr Jackson, a photographer also living on the island, previously told The Times he believes his friend was “the target” of the attack.
The 72-year-old said a bullet went straight through his shoulder, leaving him with a fractured humerus.
He said: “I was lucky. My friend, not so. My friend was the target, not me. Wrong place, they say.”
Following his death, The Marcliffe’s managing director Ross Spence said the team were devastated to hear of the tragedy.
“We are all part of the Marcliffe family – staff past and present – and to lose Donnie in such a way has deeply saddened us all,” he said.
“We will remember him as the lovely, unassuming and very popular guy we all knew; he will be sorely missed.”
It is understood Mr McKinnon has been laid to rest at Glen Nevis Cemetery.
Conversation