FRESH evidence has been revealed by detectives investigating in the case of a banker shot dead on his doorstep almost 13 years ago.
Father-of-two Alistair Wilson, 30, was gunned down in Nairn in the Highlands on November 28, 2004, as he got his children ready for bed.
His murder is still unsolved despite an extensive police investigation which remains live.
Police have now said that a blue envelope handed to Mr Wilson by the gunman in the moments before he was shot was empty, and was inscribed with the name “Paul”.
Mr Wilson took the envelope and returned to his wife Veronica to speak to her, before going back downstairs to see the man a second time. He was then shot.
Mr Wilson’s widow said she was grateful for the work the police have done, but added the family needed answers about who killed the husband and father, and that finding his killer would help the family move on.
She told the BBC: “For us as a family, we need to know why. This is just so senseless.
“For two young boys – aged two and four – to be left without a dad, that can’t be repaired. But a who and why would just make such a difference to us being able to move on.”
On the evening Mr Wilson was shot, his wife opened the door to a stocky man, aged between 35 and 40, wearing a dark jacket and baseball cap and holding an envelope. He asked for her husband by name.
Mr Wilson, who was upstairs reading his sons a story, went to the door and spoke to the man before returning inside to talk to his wife before going back to the door, where he was shot. He died in hospital later that evening.
The gun was recovered from a drain near Mr Wilson’s home 10 days after his murder.
Police said a gun identical to the murder weapon was found last year in Nairn.
The weapon was a Haenel Schmeisser, a 1920s German handgun known as a pocket pistol because of its small size and an exact replica of the murder weapon, was handed into police last year following a house clearance in Nairn.
The gun is rarely found in the UK – there have only been 13 of these guns recovered here since 2008.
Mrs Wilson said: “It’s harder the older the boys get. Obviously when they were little they were just told their dad had died, and he wasn’t there any more.
“They’re young men now so they just can’t understand it, why somebody would do it to their dad and why somebody’s not been caught. Justice is a huge factor and issue that they have.”
She added: “Everyone has supported us and the boys have had very few problems with being who they are, but it’s still very horrible for them to realise now who they are.
“It’s not nice being the banker’s widow or the banker’s children.”
Earlier this month police said the investigation is still live and urged anyone with information to contact them.
Detective Superintendent Gary Cunningham said: “The investigation into the murder of Alistair Wilson remains open and ongoing and we urge anyone with new information or anyone who hasn’t spoken to police to speak to us so we can investigate all opportunities.”
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