Police have announced a 'significant development' in the investigation of a murder which took place 41 years ago.
George Murdoch, a taxi driver in Aberdeen, was murdered with a cheese wire as he turned into the Pitfoldels Station Road area of the city on the evening of Thursday, 29 September, 1983.
Two young cyclists witnessed the attack and raised the alarm but police arrived too late to save him.
In 2022 police issued an appeal for a man seen in Wilson's Sports Bar on Market Street in Aberdeen in September 2015, who was wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt.
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He was described as small, stocky, in his 60s or 70s and local to Aberdeen.
Now Police Scotland have announced what they describe as a "significant development", with advancements in forensic science allowing them to identify DNA from the scene.
That profile has been further enhanced to allow officers to search for anyone related to the DNA sample, known as familial DNA.
This involves a search of the National DNA Database to identify potential close relatives of an individual when their DNA profile is not on the database.
Police have identified an initial list of 200 possible genetic matches to the profile from the scene and will now attempt to contact these people to establish any family link.
Detective Inspector James Callander said: “This new DNA data is significant and will help take us a step closer to getting justice for Mr Murdoch’s family.
“The familial DNA links identified will assist in tracing people who can help with our enquiries. I want to make clear, these individuals are not suspects, but we hope they may be able to help with our ongoing investigation.
“I would ask everyone to think back to when George was murdered. If you have any concerns at all from around that time, please don’t dismiss them and contact us.
“The solving of this horrific crime requires the help of the public. I would urge anyone with information to please come forward. We want to give George’s family some much needed closure.”
No-one has ever been arrested in connection with Mr Murdoch’s murder, who was affectionately known as ‘Dod’ by loved ones, and Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team continue to investigate the case.
In a statement, his family said: “This latest development with the familial DNA is a huge leap forward and we thank the police for their continued endeavour in getting to this stage.
“It is very encouraging and refreshes our hope that we can finally identify who is responsible for Dod’s murder.”
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