A new search is scheduled to uncover the bodies of a mother and her young child at the former residence of their murderer. The quest for the remains of Renee MacRae and her son Andrew is slated to occur 50 years after their unexplained disappearance at a property previously owned by the culprit, William MacDowell.
Law enforcement and military specialists are preparing to conduct an excavation on the property’s expansive land after a historical survey unveiled disturbed ground linked to the time of Renee and three-year-old Andrew’s vanishing. Forensic teams have been authorized to initiate searches around MacDowell’s former residence.
Relatives of Renee and Andrew have been informed of the recent developments. The mother and son went missing on November 12, 1976, with Renee’s burnt-out BMW discovered near Dalmagarry Quarry, approximately 12 miles south of Inverness. MacDowell, aged 81, carried his secrets regarding the location of the victims’ bodies to his death in a hospital five months post-conviction.
After evading justice for 45 years, MacDowell was eventually convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Police in Scotland have pledged to persist in their investigation until the remains are found. MacDowell, known as Bill, resided near Inverness during the time of the crimes and was employed as a company secretary for a construction firm owned by Renee’s estranged husband, Gordon.
Renee, who was expecting to meet McDowell for a weekend getaway before relocating to Shetland, had a deep affection for him when she disappeared. She had a child, Andrew, with McDowell within a year of their affair starting. McDowell, incarcerated at HMP Glenochil in Alloa, passed away in February 2023, just a year into his sentence.
In a breakthrough last year, suspected items related to the case, such as a potty and a carpet, were discovered near the A9. These findings were close to the lay-by near Dalmagarry Quarry where Renee’s car had been found ablaze in 1976, but without any trace of her or Andrew. Detective Superintendent Brian Geddes mentioned that the investigation into the murders of Renee and Andrew MacRae continues, with officers exploring all available leads.
