Innocent man spent 15yrs in prison for a murder he couldn’t have committed
Suspect from mysterious case 45 years ago was traced but died in May
A LEADING criminologist has revealed the name of the man he reckons is the “most likely” suspect in a murder case solved by police 46 years ago.
Professor David Wilson believes one of Scotland’s most legendary detectives “fitted up” an innocent man, who spent 15 years in prison for a murder he “couldn’t” have committed.
Wilson revealed he tracked down and confronted the man he called “John Smith” for his book Signs of Murder, which examines the 1973 death of Margaret McLaughlin in Carluke, Lanarkshire.
But a new edition of the book will name Smith as Les Jardine, who lived in a house along the route Margaret took from her home towards Carluke train station.
Today, we reveal a picture of Jardine, who died in May.
Wilson, who confronted Jardine at his home in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, said: “I’m very happy to name the person who was living at the address that I point out in the book as Les Jardine.
“I’m not saying Les Jardine is guilty. I’m saying he’s a far more likely suspect than George Beattie ever was.”
Jardine spent time in a Lanarkshire psychiatric hospital and was rumoured to be dead or living in Canada.
Typist Margaret was killed in a frenzied knife attack and stabbed 19 times.
Beattie, then 19, was arrested and later convicted of the brutal murder – despite maintaining his innocence. He failed in two appeal bids to overturn his conviction.
But Wilson believes the absence of “signs of murder” on Beattie point to police having the “wrong man”.
Andd he says Detective Chief Superintendent Williamam Muncie – who snared serial killer Peter Manuel – hadad “tunnel vision”n” when it came to solving Margaret’saret’s murder as he had a reputation to live up to.
He said: “Therere are two issues. First, the criminal justice system has to exonerate him but why has it refused to in the past? “Then we need to answer the second question – who did the murder? “Muncie flew over the crime scene in a plane chartered by the Daily Record and then declared there were “signs of murder”. “But why did Beattie have no signs on him and how did the actual killer escape so easily?” When Wilson confronted Jardine, who was in his 80s, the encounter was “nervejangling”. But Jardine denied being involved in the murder. Wilson added: “He wasn’t very keen to speak to me and most of what he did say sounded illogical. “AfterAfter the book was published, police called me to say Jardine had died.” Margaret ’s f i ance, Bob Alexander, told STV
News he believes the theory about Jardine is “very plausible” but added: “This wi l l take a lot more investigation by people who have access to further information which David Wilson did not have”.
Wilson said: “Once Muncie had Beattie in his sights, he wasn’t prepared to let him go.
“Muncie believed he had psychic powers when it came to solving murders. He would decide which suspect was guilty then search for the proof to make his case. He ignored all evidence that would cast doubt on Beattie being the killer.”
Muncie’s officers found a knife close to where Margaret’s body lay. Forensic ttesting showed there were nno traces of Margaret’s or BBeattie’s blood on it and it wwas unlikely to have been the mmurder weapon.
Wilson added: “I’m never ggoing to be able to prove, bbeyond reasonable doubt, wwho killed Margaret. But I bbelieve I’ve been able to ddemonstrate, beyond rreasonable doubt, that BBeattie did not kill Margaret.”