SCOTLAND'S top law officer has ordered a complete re-investigation into the murder of a Beith banker who was shot dead on the doorstep of his Highland home nearly 20 years ago.
Father-of-two Alistair Wilson was fatally wounded at his home in Nairn, in what became known as the "doorstep murder".
His killer has never been caught.
Prosecutors from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and officers from Police Scotland will now work on a full cold case investigation.
Alistair was shot dead in Nairn on the evening of November 28, 2004. He later died in hospital.
After attending Beith Primary and Garnock Academy, he studied accountancy and business law at Stirling University, and later he found himself a graduate position at the Bank of Scotland.
He was sent to work in Fort William where he met and married German-born Veronica, a graphic designer.
On the fatal night, Alistair and Veronica had been bathing their two young sons when the killer knocked on the door.
A blue envelope, with the name Paul on it, was handed to Alastair on the doorstep.
He went inside and showed it to his wife, but the envelope had nothing inside. When Alastair returned to the door, he was shot.
The gun involved was found on December 8, 2004 in a drain on Seabank Road, Nairn, by council workers carrying out gully cleaning.
Two years ago, Police Scotland said a dispute over decking at the Havelock Hotel, across the road from the Wilsons' home, was the most likely motive for the shooting.
Read more: https://www.ardrossanherald.com/news/23969576.complaint-cops-handling-beith-banker-murder-probe/
In June last year, it emerged that a potential suspect had been jailed for an unrelated offence. And in November 2024, Alistair's family made an official complaints about the handling of the police investigation.
Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC has instructed the re-investigation.
She said today it was a "deeply disturbing" crime and the Wilson family had suffered a devastating loss.
She added: "There have been strenuous efforts made over many years to resolve this case and a great deal of evidence has been gathered.
"However, I have decided that it is appropriate for all the details of the case to be considered afresh and for further investigations to be made.
"It is my sincere hope that this secures justice for Alistair Wilson’s family and for the wider community who have been affected by this violent crime."
The new police investigation will be overseen by a detective chief superintendent.
Police Scotland's Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said the force remained committed to bringing the killer to justice.
He said: "We are now approaching the 20th anniversary of the murder of Alistair Wilson, and our thoughts remain with his family and the loss they have suffered.
"Unresolved murder cases are never closed in Scotland and there is no time bar to providing the police with information."
"We would appeal to anyone who may have information not yet shared with the police to come forward and report it, external."
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