Three appear in court charged with murder of Caroline Glachan 25 years ago
THREE people have appeared in court charged with the murder of schoolgirl Caroline Glachan more than 25 years ago.
The body of the 14-year-old was discovered on the banks of the River Leven, near Place of Bonhill in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, on August 25, 1996.
Robert O’brien, 43, Andrew Kelly and Donna Brand, both 42, appeared in private before Dumbarton Sheriff Court.
They made no plea or declaration and were remanded in custody.
Mr O’brien, Mr Kelly and Ms Brand, all from Dumbarton, will return to court next week.
The case was called just hours after Police Scotland confirmed the arrests.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Grainger, of the major investigations team, said: “I would like to thank the members of the public who have assisted with our investigation and those who have come forward with important information surrounding Caroline’s death.”
Caroline, from Bonhill, was a pupil at Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School in Dumbarton at the time of her death.
Her friend Joanne Menzies was one of the last people to see her at shops near her home at 11.54pm on August 24.
Caroline was last seen at about 12.15am when she walked down Dillichip Loan towards Dillichip Bridge, known locally as the Black
Bridge – which no longer exists – and then on to the river towpath.
The teenager’s body was discovered later that day on what was her mother Margaret Mckeich’s 40th birthday.
Caroline’s death went on to feature on the BBC’S Crimewatch programme and became one of Scotland’s most high-profile unsolved cases.
The case was previously closed but the search for Caroline’s killer restarted in 2016, with detectives hoping that advances in DNA technology would help with the search.
Caroline had been found on the morning after having spent time with her best friend Ms Menzies the previous night.
Caroline then left to meet her boyfriend at around midnight, with police believing that she had been followed by a stranger along the riverbank.
The latest development comes five years after the cold case was reopened and an appeal for anyone with information was issued by Crimestoppers on the 21st anniversary of her death.
Caroline’s mother previously said: “I am just waiting for that knock on the door telling me there has been a breakthrough.
“I imagine that scenario all the time and think about what it would be like.
“The cold case team are looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes and starting from the beginning so there is a lot for them to get through.”