A taxi driver brutally murdered almost 40 years ago, a banker shot on his doorstep in Scotland, and a woman killed in her own home in Darlington are among the shocking cases which have never been solved.
The victims range in age from missing 14-year-old Sarah Benford who is believed to have been murdered, to 69-year-old Nora Tait.
Among the unsolved murders are that of Alistair Wilson who was shot dead on his doorstep in Nairn in 2004
Meanwhile, the killer of George Murdoch still remains at large. The taxi driver was attacked with a cheese wire while working in Aberdeen on 29 September, 1983.
Police have continued to hunt for those responsible for the murders in order to get justice for the victims and their loved ones.
Here are some of the most shocking unsolved murder cases from the past four decades.
1. George Murdoch
George Murdoch was murdered 39 ago - and his killer still remains at large. Taxi driver Mr Murdoch, of Aberdeen, Scotland, was found dying outside his taxi by a police officer. During the attack on him a cheese wire was used, and it was found nearby. He had picked up a fare on the city’s Queens Road. However, at about 8.45pm, he was attacked after he turned onto Pitfodels Station Road, just on the outskirts of the city. Officers say they are now looking to identify a man who they believe may be able to help with their investigation. The man was seen in Wilson’s Sports Bar on Market Street in Aberdeen in September 2015 and was wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt. He is described as small, stocky, in his 60 or 70’s and local to Aberdeen. Detective Inspector James Callander said: “We continue to receive information about what may have happened to George, which is very encouraging and I would like to thank the public for this, the public’s continued assistance and support is vital in order to bring this enquiry to a conclusion and provide much needed closure to George’s family. “We are urging anyone who has not come forward previously who believes they can assist the investigation to contact 101 or e-mail a dedicated inbox at [email protected].” | PA/Police Scotland
2. Marion Hodge
Police are re-investigating the murder of Scottish mum-of-two Marion Hodge after she disappeared in 1984. Detectives from the Unresolved Homicide Investigation Team are looking into the case. Marion is understood to have been dropped off in the Whitesands area of Dumfries around 7.30am on Friday, 6 July, 1984. She was reported to be carrying a blue canvas suitcase and brown handbag, wearing a cream high collared blouse, grey skirt and black sandals. Three days later she was reported missing.. Marion, who was 34 years old when she went missing, lived in Balgray, Lockerbie, and worked in the town’s Clydesdale Bank. She was described as 5ft 4in tall, slim build with dark brown collar length hair. Following her disappearance with no further sightings or contact, Marion was declared legally dead by the Court of Session, Edinburgh, in 1992. Her body has never been found. The case featured on Crimewatch Live on 8 March. | Policce Scotland
3. Ann Ballantine.
Ann Ballantine’s body was found on 21 January 1987 in Edinburgh’s Union Canal. She had been raped, bound and strangled. Her body had been wrapped in carpet before being dumped in the canal. The 20-year-old’s remains were so badly decomposed she was identified through dental records and a scar on her head. Tests showed her body had been in the water for days but she had been dead for months. Her mum, Isobel had last seen her on 18 November, 1986. | Contributed.
4. Ann Heron
The body of 44-year-old Ann Heron was found in a pool of blood in the living room of her large detached home near Darlington on 3 August 1990. It remains County Durham’s only unsolved murder in the last 70 years. Ms Heron, the wife of a local businessman, had been sunbathing in her garden at Aeolian House earlier on that warm afternoon. Her husband, Peter, was charged with her murder in 2005 but the charges against him were dropped. Mr Heron was interviewed as part of a recent documentary about Ann’s case which aired on Channel 5. Ann’s murder has also been the subject of a podcast. | PA