A family relation of the infamous Cheese Wire Killer could claim a new £10,000 reward – but only if a swab of their DNA helps identify which of their relatives murdered Aberdeen taxi driver George Murdoch.
The 58-year-old cabbie was viciously garrotted on September 29 1983 by his last-ever passenger, who has never been arrested for the ordeal in Pitfodels Station Road, Cults.
Detectives hope to unmask the savage stranger by using DNA that the mystery man left behind him at the bloody crime scene and linking it to close family members of his.
Police Scotland revealed in September that the killer’s profile was linked with 200 possible genetic matches on the National DNA Database.
To narrow the search for the killer further officers required a couple of hundred people, who were not being treated as suspects, to volunteer cheek swabs so their DNA could be used to rule out a family link.
However, while most of those approached by the probe cooperated, some have refused to provide samples – prompting Mr Murdoch’s loved ones to offer a £10,000 “incentive” for their assistance.
‘I’m more hopeful of it being solved than ever before’
Gentle and kindhearted Mr Murdoch – affectionately known as ‘Dod’ by his loved ones – remains sorely missed by his nephew Alex McKay, 67, who, along with his wife, continues to support the police investigation.
“Development after development has kept Dod’s case alive,” Mr McKay said, adding: “I’m more hopeful of it being solved than ever before.”
Speaking to The Press and Journal, he said: “When I think back to when I started in 2014, the end goal was to identify my uncle’s killer, but it felt so far in the distance – I couldn’t see that far ahead.
“Over the years, with media appeals and more and more progress continuing to be made in the investigation, a sort of fog has cleared and the road ahead to that destination actually now feels quite short.”
The McKays have dug deep into their own pockets to motivate people in the hope they may eventually find justice for Dod.
Robina explained: “If a detective requests a DNA sample from someone and that sample after forensic testing leads to the person who was responsible for Dod’s murder, providing the police are certain, then he or she will be rewarded with the sum of £10,000.”
She added: “As family and friends come together over the festive period, I’m sure they’ll also think about loved ones who’ve sadly passed away.
“For me, Christmas is a season of goodwill. It’s an opportunity to think about the suffering of others and perhaps even a chance to try to help them.
“That’s what I hope someone will do for us.”
Two lists of leads – one with 200 names – and eliminations expected in the New Year
In September last year, the couple’s campaign for closure was boosted by news of a breakthrough following significant developments in forensic technology.
It emerged that advancements in forensic analysis had allowed scientists towards the end of 2018 to extract the killer’s genetic profile from DNA detected on evidence recovered from the crime scene.
It was later reported that dozens of persons of interest in the unsolved case had been eliminated from the ongoing enquiry.
A year later, it was announced that the killer’s DNA profile had been further enhanced so that it could potentially be used to search for anyone related to him.
So-called familial DNA testing involves searching the National DNA Database to compare the sample from a suspect not already identified on the database with other named samples previously stored on it.
Relatives of the same family all share certain aspects of their DNA.
Children share half their genetic information with their mother and the other half with their father, and siblings tend to share more DNA than unrelated people.
The P&J can reveal that, although no leads have been officially ruled out yet, detectives expect to begin confirming eliminations next year.
An initial UK-wide list of people – 200 in total – is still being worked through with an additional list containing a significant number of names adding to the workload.
How a relative’s DNA was used to catch a serial killer abroad
A similar method was used by the FBI to snare the notorious Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo.
The former police officer slaughtered at least 13 people and raped at least 50 women in California during the 1970s and 80s before being locked up in April 2018.
Law enforcement officers relied on genetic genealogy to catch him – using a relative’s genetic profile on a family history website.
However, currently, British authorities cannot legally use such websites for investigative purposes anywhere in the UK.
Detective Inspector James Callander, the Senior Investigating Officer in the George Murdoch murder enquiry, previously said he’s “never been closer” to solving the case, adding: “If this case was ever going to be solved, it’s going to be solved by this DNA and with the help of the public.”
A separate £50,000 cash reward for information leading to the confirmed identification of the Cheese Wire Killer remains unclaimed and up for grabs.
Mr McKay and his brother were the first to pledge £10,000 towards the pot of money, a sum matched by Aberdeen Journals and later increased with £5,000 from the taxi firm that Mr Murdoch worked for – now part of Rainbow City Taxis – and finally doubled with another £25,000 pledged by the McKays.
Brutal robber stole taxi takings
Although the killer has evaded capture for more than four decades, his motive for the horrific crime has never been a mystery.
Around 8.30pm on the fateful night, the cabbie radioed his control room to say he had just picked up a customer from Queen’s Road wanting to go to Peterculter.
However, neither of them reached the intended destination.
Mr Murdoch’s wallet and his taxi’s takings – anywhere between £21 and £35 – were stolen by the brutal robber.
Two teenage boys riding their bicycles passed the frantic struggle on the secluded street just off North Deeside Road on which Mr Murdoch tragically lost the fight for his life.
The witnesses, who heard Mr Murdoch’s cries for help, raced to a phone box to call the police but it was already too late to save him.
When Allan Hendry, a police dog handler at the time, was first to arrive on the scene, George was discovered close to death and the lethal murder weapon was found nearby.
Mr Murdoch’s wife Jessie died in 2004 without the widow ever seeing her beloved husband’s killer brought to justice.
Anyone who has not come forward previously who believes they can assist the investigation should telephone 101 or e-mail: SCDHOLMESAberdeen@scotland.police.uk or private message the George Murdoch Murder Facebook page.
Read more:
- Are you related to cheese wire killer? DNA breakthrough matches 200 people to George Murdoch murderer
- DNA method that snared infamous US serial killer could be used to catch cheese wire murderer
- DNA breakthrough in hunt for cheese wire killer of Aberdeen taxi driver
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