Episode (1)00: Renee MacRae

Video Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfNOkt9bn7I


For the long awaited 100th episode of Murder She Spoke Joannagh delves in to the case of Renee MacRae, a 36-year-old mother of two who went missing in November 1976, along with her youngest son, 3-year-old Andrew.
Joannagh talks of the turbulent personal life of Renee, with questions having been raised over the paternity of her youngest son due to an ongoing affair.
We hear about the extensive searches carried out in search of Renee and Andrew, from excavations of Quarries, to searches of Rivers and Lochs involving large numbers of Police, volunteers and even support from the RAF.
In an investigation lasting right up to September 2022, we hear about the lies that allowed the prime suspect to evade Police detection, as well as the evidence that would eventually be used to see them in court.


Case research by Joannagh Shanks
Produced by Emma Taylor & Joannagh Shanks
Editing by Joannagh Shanks
Music by Tribe of Noise
Murder She Spoke Youtube Page - https://www.youtube.com/@MurderSheSpokePod
Sponsor: https://www.crimecon.co.uk/


Sources of research:

https://www.valmcdermid.com/forensics/ (Val’s book: Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime)

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/perth-kinross/1573378/oap-set-for-court-accused-of-murdering-mum-renee-macrae-and-her-son-more-than-40-years-ago/

https://www.scottishlegal.com/article/pensioner-to-appear-in-court-accused-of-killing-woman-and-toddler-over-40-years-ago

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/renee-macrae-murder-case-due-back-in-court-next-month-212004/

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/tag/renee-macrae/page/2/

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/4407580/renee-macrae-murder-bones-found-inverness-search-43-years/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-49661128

https://twitter.com/policescotland/status/1171736670842040320?lang=en-gb

https://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/renee-macrae-murder-police-search-quarry-1416644

https://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk/news/national-news/17728381.renee-macrae-search-team-find-pushchair-parts-quarry/

https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/national/17216682.fresh-family-appeal-1976-disappearance-mother-son/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64655571

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/tag/renee-macrae/

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/29/renee-andrew-macrae-murder-inverness-1976-william-macdowell-guilty

https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/murderer-william-macdowell-who-killed-renee-macrae-and-son-andrew-dies-aged-81

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/renee-macrae-police-inverness-high-court-police-scotland-b2196060.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/renee-macrae-inverness-police-scotland-penrith-high-court-b2177869.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/renee-macrae-inverness-high-court-volvo-leith-b2173854.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/renee-macrae-inverness-bmw-valium-dvla-b2175361.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/renee-macrae-life-high-court-inverness-bmw-b2176645.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/renee-macrae-inverness-chinese-volvo-penrith-b2177270.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/renee-macrae-inverness-bmw-penrith-cumbria-b2173283.html

https://judiciary.scot/home/sentences-judgments/sentences-and-opinions/2022/09/30/hma-v-william-macdowell

https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2022/september/man-80-guilty-of-murdering-renee-and-andrew-macrae-in-1976/