The family of a man murdered with a cheese wire 41 years ago have urged relatives who suspect a dead family member to submit DNA in the hunt for a killer.
Taxi driver George Murdoch was found dead beside his cab on Pitfodels Station Road, Aberdeen, having just picked up a fare in September 1983.
The cheese wire believed to have been used to garrotte him was found nearby – but the culprit was never found.
Police investigating the unsolved case found 200 possible DNA matches as they hope to establish any family link to a profile from the scene. But his family fear relatives who suspect a now deceased family member won’t come forward for genetic testing.
George’s nephew Alex McKay said the family are desperately searching for ‘closure’.
He told the Daily Record: “We strongly believe someone out there knows who the killer is and we hope that their conscience will be pricked.
“Even if that person is dead, it is still closure for our family. If you have someone’s name in mind, you are not hurting them- all you could be doing is giving us the answers we desperately want.
“Think about our family and our pain versus anything that you might think about protecting someone.”
Handsome rewards have been offered by the family- with £50,000 to be paid out for anyone with information that leads to the killer.
In December, the family offered a £10,000 reward for a DNA swab that found a genetic link.
Forensic scientists previously managed to develop a male DNA profile from crime scene material thanks to advances in analysis techniques, but detectives need to find a match.
Nephew Alex said that given Aberdeen’s booming oil industry at the time, the murderer could be from anywhere in the country or even beyond.
He said: “The police had an initial list of 200 people and they have been diligently knocking on doors.
“There are some people holding out on giving their DNA and we would really urge them to think of us.”
Mr Murdoch, known as Dod, picked up a fare outside the New Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen’s west end just after 8.30pm on September 29, 1983. He radioed his control room to inform them he was heading to Culter, and after turning off onto Pitfodels Station Road about two miles into the journey, was attacked and killed.
Two cyclists saw him being assaulted and alerted police, but Mr Murdoch was dead by the time officers arrived and his wallet and cash were stolen. His wife Jessie died in 2004 without ever seeing justice served.
Detective Inspector James Callander, from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “George Murdoch’s family have dealt with his loss with a great deal of dignity over the years since his senseless murder.
“They deserve answers about what happened to him.
“We are continuing to focus on familial DNA links which have been identified which may assist us in tracing people who can help with our enquiries. I want to make clear again, these individuals are not suspects, but we hope they may be able to help with our ongoing investigation.
“I would like to thank everyone who has provided their DNA for their help so far and would urge anyone who hasn’t yet done so, to contact officers.
“We also continue to receive information from the public about what may have happened to George and any new information we do receive is thoroughly investigated.
“Anyone with any information is asked to please come forward. We want to give George’s family some much needed closure.”
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