Death of six-year-old girl is being treated as murder
A SIX-YEAR-OLD who was found dead on a Scottish island after disappearing from her grandparents’ home was murdered, police confirmed last night.
Alesha Macphail was reported missing at 6.25am on Monday, while staying with her grandparents and father in Rothesay in the Isle of Bute. Her body was found less than three hours later.
Last night Det Supt Stuart Houston, the senior investigating officer, said her family were “utterly devastated” as he called her death “incomprehensible”.
Yesterday Robert Macphail, 25, Alesha’s tearful father, was overcome with emotion as he viewed tributes left by members of the public.
He had to be supported by Tonii Mclachlan, his girlfriend, as he crouched down in front of flowers, toys and balloons close to the family home.
Alesha is understood to have been on holiday visiting her father and his parents, Calum Macphail and Angela King, after her school broke up last week.
Police Scotland vowed to put “every available resource” on the case as Ch Supt Hazel Hendren, divisional commander of Argyll and West Dunbartonshire appealed for the island’s close knit community to pull together.
Stressing how people should be “vigilant about their children and their household security”, she said: “Our absolute priority is catching the person responsible for this horrendous act as quickly as possible.”
It remains unclear how she died, but following a post mortem and forensic work, it was raised to a murder inquiry shortly after 10pm last night.
Det Supt Houston, appealing for information, said: “Alesha’s family is utterly devastated and we are continuing to provide them with support.”
Alesha’s mother, Georgina Lochrane, 23, who was escorted to the island from her home in Airdrie, also broke down as she viewed the tributes yesterday.