Unsolved case · 2004
Also known as killing of Alistair Wilson · Alistair Wilson's murder
The short answer
Alistair Wilson, a 30-year-old bank manager, was shot dead on his own doorstep in Nairn, Scotland, in November 2004 by an unidentified man who had asked for him by name. The case remains unsolved despite one of the largest murder inquiries in Scottish history.
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Suggest coverage for Killing of Alistair WilsonAlistair Wilson was a 30-year-old business manager at the local Bank of Scotland branch in Nairn, Scotland. He lived with his wife, Veronica, and their two young children on Crescent Road, in a house where Veronica's father also occupied the top-floor flat.
On the evening of 28 November 2004, at around 7 pm, the doorbell of the Wilson family home was rung. Veronica Wilson answered and found an unidentified man standing on the doorstep, wearing a baseball cap, a dark blue jacket, and dark jeans. The man asked for Alistair Wilson by name, and Wilson went to speak with him. He returned briefly to his wife carrying an empty blue envelope with the name "Paul" written on the front, appearing confused, before going back to the door. Veronica then heard three gunshots and, going to check, discovered her husband had been shot. He died in hospital later that evening.
The resulting murder inquiry became one of the largest ever conducted in Scotland, but the case remains unsolved. The apparent absence of a clear motive, along with other unexplained elements of the crime, led to the case being described as "Scotland's most mysterious unsolved crime" and "one of the most baffling cases of modern times." It has continued to attract press coverage in the years since.
In October 2020, it was reported that Alistair Wilson's son, Andrew, was appealing publicly for information about his father's murder. Police had by this time disclosed the type of firearm used — a 1930s .25 calibre Haenel pocket pistol — and sought help identifying anyone known to have used such a weapon.
In April 2022, Police Scotland announced that a local planning dispute involving a hotel decking area opposite the Wilsons' house was considered a likely motive for the murder. Investigators stated that the hotelier himself was not a suspect, but suggested the perpetrators were likely customers or builders connected to the decking's construction. In 2023, Police Scotland further stated they believed two people had carried out the shooting, and that one of them was likely a local individual, already identified by police, who had a history of imprisonment for drugs offences.
As of the most recent reporting, no one has been charged in connection with Alistair Wilson's death, and the case remains classified as unsolved.
Alistair Wilson is shot on the doorstep of his home in Crescent Road, Nairn, after an unidentified man asks for him by name; he dies in hospital later that evening.
Alistair Wilson's son Andrew publicly appeals for information; police disclose the murder weapon was a 1930s .25 calibre Haenel pocket pistol.
Police Scotland announce that a local planning dispute over a hotel decking area opposite the Wilson home is considered a likely motive.
Police Scotland state they believe two people carried out the shooting, one likely a local individual with a history of drug-related imprisonment.
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
30-year-old bank business manager shot dead on his doorstep in Nairn, Scotland, on 28 November 2004.[3]
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