Now tell us where they both lie buried, begs sister
IF RENEE MacRae’s killer had a ‘shred of decency’ he would reveal where the bodies of his two victims are, her heartbroken sister insisted yesterday.
In a poignant statement outside court, where she had finally seen William MacDowell jailed for the murder of Renee and her son Andrew, Morag Govans spoke of the pain the family has endured since they disappeared in 1976.
Mrs Govans, who was accompanied by Renee’s older son Gordon, said: ‘Almost 46 years on, the pain of losing Renee and Andrew in such a cruel and brutal fashion never fades.
‘Today there is finally justice for them. It’s a day we feared would never come. They were both so precious to us and a day never passes without them both in our thoughts.
‘Renee was a compassionate and caring mother. Both Andrew and his elder brother Gordon were her life.
‘She adored them and was so proud of her boys. Andrew would have been 48 today but he was never given the
‘Time has not eased the anguish’
chance to build his own life. The passage of time has not eased the anguish we feel. We have never been able to lay Renee and Andrew to rest or properly mourn their loss.
‘Not knowing where the remains lie only compounds the pain.’
The 84yearold added: ‘Thinking of the terror they both must have felt before they died continues to haunt us. We will never comprehend why their lives had to be taken in such a calculated and callous manner by William MacDowell.
‘If he has a shred of decency in his body, he will now reveal where they both lie.’
Detectives will seek to question MacDowell behind bars in the hope he will reveal the location of the bodies before he dies.
Intensive searches in the Inverness area over the years have failed to find any trace of them, and the case will remain open until the bodies are found.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Geddes, who led Operation Abermule, said: ‘Renee and Andrew’s family and friends have waited decades for justice and I hope that the outcome in court can provide some form of closure for them.
‘They have carried themselves with absolute dignity throughout and they are very much in my thoughts.
‘Although justice has now been done, Renee and Andrew’s bodies have not been found and I would urge anyone who may have information about where they are to come forward so they can be provided with the dignity they deserve.
‘In particular, I would appeal directly to William MacDowell to speak to us and allow us to bring closure to the family.
‘You’ve got to be optimistic. You’ve got to hope that he is going to somehow be willing to engage with me or somebody or whoever, and reveal the whereabouts of Renee and Andrew.
‘There’s no point in being pessimistic about it and thinking, “What’s the point?” We’ve got to keep going with it and now that we’re at this stage and the conviction has been passed, our next step is to attempt some kind of reengagement with him and see if he’s willing to speak.’
Mr Geddes added that officers had struggled to comprehend MacDowell’s crime and the full truth about what happened.
He said: ‘Anybody who has done what he has been convicted of, it takes a fair bit of understanding, to be honest. As a team, we probably wrestled with that a wee bit as well, particularly the killing of Andrew.
‘That provoked a lot of discussion within the investigation team. We’d love more answers for the sake of the family.’