November 28, 2004. Nairn, Scotland. An unidentified man arrives at the front door of 30-year old Alistair Wilson and hands him an empty envelope with the name “Paul” written on it. The man shoots Alistair three times and takes the envelope back before fleeing the scene and the murder weapon is found in a nearby drain ten days later. Investigators explore a number of different theories and eventually conclude that the crime might be connected to a dispute over a decking area at a hotel pub located across the street from Alistair’s home. Police believe that at least two people were involved in the murder and have one potential suspect in mind, but the crime is never solved. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore one of the most bizarre cold cases in the history of Scotland. Special thanks to listener Alison Simmonds for narrating the opening of this episode.

Additional Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Alistair_Wilson

"To Catch a Killer - My Hunt for the Truth Behind the Doorstep Murder" by Peter Bleksley

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-42056011

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/the_doorstep_murder_alistair_wilson

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-61215644

https://www.thetimes.com/article/two-men-could-have-been-behind-unsolved-murder-of-banker-alistair-wilson-qspbcrwkq

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r884dlgpno

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/21/family-of-banker-alistair-wilson-murdered-20-years-ago-rebuke-incompetent-police-scotland

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/police-officer-in-nairn-murder-investigation-found-guilty-of-366536/

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/new-alistair-wilson-murder-evidence-34174176

https://news.sky.com/story/alistair-wilson-20th-anniversary-of-bankers-doorstep-murder-as-police-reject-callous-handling-of-unsolved-shooting-13257633

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the AdvocacyCon, taking place at the Indianapolis Marriott East in Indianapolis on March 28-30, 2025. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/.

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The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.