The sister of Renee MacRae knew “something dreadful had happened” when she didn’t receive a regular weekly phone call from her, a murder trial has been told.
Morag Govans, an 84-year-old retired nurse, was giving evidence on the third day of the trial at the High Court in Inverness.
William MacDowell, known as Bill, denies murdering Mrs Govans’ sibling, 36-year-old Renee MacRae, and their three-year-old son Andrew at Dalmagarry lay-by 12 miles outside Inverness on November 12, 1976.
He also denies disposing of their bodies and attempting to pervert the course of justice by destroying evidence.
MacDowell has lodged special defences of alibi that he was elsewhere at the time and that Renee’s husband with unknown others were responsible for the crimes.
Her blue BMW was found ablaze that night and there has been no sign of the mother, her child, his pushchair or their luggage since.
‘Friend told me Renee was away with Andrew’s father for the weekend’
The trial heard that Renee told some of her friends that she would be visiting Mrs Govans at her then home in Kilmarnock. Her other son, Gordon junior, was not with her.
But she had told her best friend, Valerie Steventon, that she and Andrew were spending the weekend with MacDowell.
Mrs Govans, who now lives in Inverness, told prosecutor Alex Prentice KC that Renee and Andrew never arrived in Kilmarnock and that she knew of no plans for her sister’s visit.
“She wouldn’t have travelled without telling me,” Mrs Govans said. “Valerie phoned me and told me that Renee was away with Andrew’s father for the weekend.”
She confirmed that Valerie had told her that MacDowell was the father but she did not know beforehand.
“She didn’t tell me who Andrew’s father was but that he was a married man with two children and would never leave his wife,” Mrs Govans told the jury.
“I told her that I hoped it was finished and that no good would come of it.”
Mrs Govans then told of her anguish during the days that followed the disappearance.
She said: “It was Renee’s turn to phone me on Sunday. We spoke to each other once a week always on a Sunday and took turns.
“There was only once when she didn’t phone and I told her that if she was ever away to tell me because I would be worried.”
Mrs Govans added that when Renee didn’t return to Inverness on the Monday, a major police investigation was launched and she began to get worried.
She said: “Renee was a devoted mother and she would never have abandoned Gordon. I was very worried. I knew then that something dreadful had happened to Renee and Andrew.”
Asked by Mr Prentice if Renee had known about the police enquiry about her disappearance, would she have ignored it?
“She would not have put me through that,” Mrs Govans replied.
Court told of plans to start new life in Shetland
She then told the trial that she tried to get some information from the accused.
“I phoned William MacDowell, his wife answered and said he did not want to speak to me,” Mrs Govans said.
“I wanted to ask him when he last saw her and if there was anything he could tell me. I also went to his house but he was not there. There was nobody in.”
Earlier in the day’s evidence, retired Beauly hairdresser, Sheila Fraser, 80, said Renee had come to see her about two weeks before she disappeared.
She said she had heard that MacDowell was Andrew’s father and that Renee told her they were going away to Shetland to have a new life with him.
“She didn’t say when, but it was soon. She looked very well and very happy,” Mrs Fraser added.
Workmate gives evidence
A workmate of MacDowell, 83-year-old retired surveyor John Davenport, spoke of the accused joining him and three friends for drinks at the Mercury Motor Inn on the night of the disappearance.
He said: “It was unusual. It hadn’t happened before as far as I recollect. He came in about 6.30pm and said he was meeting his wife at 7pm.
“He asked me to get drinks and gave me the money. He mentioned meeting his wife a couple of times.
“Then he left at 7.05 or 7.10pm.”
Retired chartered accountant, 79-year-old Laurence Grainger told the jury that he had a business meeting with Renee’s husband, Gordon MacRae which lasted into the evening of November 12.
He said it finished about 7.45pm-8pm and Mr MacRae only left it two or three times for 15-20 minutes at a time.
The trial, before Lord Armstrong, continues.