Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Renee and Andrew MacRae: Murdered Inverness mum’s best friend Val Steventon dies

Mrs Steventon played a key part in bringing the Inverness mother and son's killer to justice.

A colour close-up of Val Steventon's face.
Val Steventon was Renee MacRae's best friend. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

The woman who played a vital role in bringing Renee and Andrew MacRae’s killer to justice has died.

Retired nurse Val Steventon was Renee’s best friend and confidante – and when the Inverness mum and her boy disappeared, Val knew a crucial secret.

She told police the building company owner’s estranged wife was having a secret
affair with her husband’s company accountant.

Decades after the 1976 disappearance, Val’s evidence helped convict and jail double murderer Bill MacDowell in 2022.

But now, Val has died at the age of 85 – just two days after the 48th
anniversary of the disappearance of Renee and Andrew.

Renee and Andrew MacRae: How did Val Steventon help get justice?

In November 1976, Renee, wife of businessman Gordon, and Andrew failed to return home to Inverness from a trip south.

The twist in the missing persons case was that it was a hush-hush trip away with her lover MacDowell.

Val was the one who told police that MacDowell was the other man in Renee’s life and he may have done her harm.

So began a four decades long search for the missing mother and son.

They have never been found – but justice eventually caught up with MacDowell.

Renee and Andrew MacRae. Image: Supplied by Firecrest Films/Morag Govans

In September 2022, he stood trial for killing Renee and Andrew. A jury convicted him of the murders.

Val’s evidence was key to the prosecution, led by advocate depute Alex Prentice KC.

He described Val as “a very important witness in this case – to the extent I doubt there would be a case without her evidence.”

Det. Chief Inspector Brian Geddes was the senior investigating officer who finally brought the case to court.

A black and white picture of Bill MacDowell and Renee MacRae - he is in Highland dress and she is in an evening dress.
Bill MacDowell and Renee MacRae. Image: Crown productions

On learning of Val’s death, he said: “Valerie’s evidence and steadfast support of her friend over the decades was pivotal in ensuring that justice was ultimately delivered for Renee and Andrew MacRae.

“My thoughts and sympathies are with her family and friends.”

How Val Steventon’s words convicted a killer

Despite Val’s desperation to see MacDowell stand trial and point the finger personally at him sitting in his wheelchair in the dock, she was unable to take to the witness box due to ill health.

But her statements were read to the jury, her voice was heard and proved crucial to the conviction.

A black and white image of a young Bill MacDowell and a colour photo of Bill MacDowell, then and now.
Bill MacDowell evaded justice for decades. Image: DC Thomson design team

Val Steventon: A life before and after Renee MacRae

A retired nurse like Renee’s sister, Morag Govans, Val then worked in a silversmith’s shop in Inverness’s Victorian Market before retiring with her husband, Eric, affectionately known as “Steve”.

He died in 2022 and Val’s own health deteriorated in her last few years.

She was cared for by her daughter Kellie, grand-daughters Anna and Martha and latterly in the Lynmore Nursing Home in Grantown of Spey.

She is also survived by her older sisters, Joan and Patricia.

Kellie paid tribute to the staff there and to her mum who died there in the early hours of November 14.

“The care they provided mum was second to none. We were all grateful for that as she deserved it. We watched the documentary about the trial with her over her last few days so we could see her – a wonderful lady, strong, sassy and gorgeous.

“She’s with Dad now and at peace. I can’t quite believe that she is gone.”

A colour close-up of Val Steventon's face.
Val Steventon was Renee MacRae’s best friend. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

DCI Geddes, however, has not given up hope.

This winter, he will meet with some members of his cold case team, review possible sites where they may have been hidden by MacDowell with the hope that the cop will place that final piece of the jigsaw, allowing “Case Closed” to be placed on the file.

David Love: How Val and I somehow became friends amid the tragedy

David Love, the author of this story, covered the Renee and Andrew MacRae case for decades. From the saddest of foundations, he and Val became friends in a fight for justice.

Val and I became good friends over the years as cold case reviews came and went and as searches of earth and flooded quarries proved fruitless.

The pain that Renee and Andrew had not been found was evident on her face.

When MacDowell died a few months after being jailed, there was no pleasure in Val’s face either.

It meant that he took his grim secret of where he had put the bodies to the grave – and she still could not visit their place of rest.

Over the years, Val would conduct her own searches of possible places where Renee and Andrew may have laid.

I will always remember Val as a strong, determined woman who would not allow her best pal or her son to be forgotten.

I admired her unwavering, steely commitment to seeing MacDowell be jailed before she died.

She was remarkable.

Read more about Renee and Andrew

Every twist and turn of the Renee and Andrew MacRae case

Gasps and cries as Bill MacDowell is finally convicted of killing Renee and Andrew

The Renee and Andrew MacRae case is woven into the DNA of Inverness