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Murder of Arlene Fraser

SOLVED1998Elgin, Moray, Scotland3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Arlene Fraser, 33, disappeared from her home in Elgin, Moray, Scotland on 28 April 1998 after her two children had left for school. No trace of her was ever found. The case was initially treated by Grampian Police as a missing persons inquiry, but six months later Detective Chief Inspector Peter Simpson publicly stated his belief that a crime had taken place and that Arlene was dead.

At the time of her disappearance, her husband Nat Fraser was on bail in connection with an earlier alleged attempted murder of his wife; that charge was later reduced to assault, for which he was jailed for 18 months when convicted around two years afterward. Fraser was also charged with perverting the course of justice over a beige Ford Fiesta linked to the investigation. The car had been bought by his friend Hector Dick, who faced the same charge and, during his own trial in early 2001, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was jailed for a year. A third man, Glenn Lucas, was later charged with perverting the course of justice in connection with the case. On 26 April 2002, the Crown Office announced that Fraser, Dick and Lucas had been indicted for Arlene's murder, charged with conspiracy to murder, murder, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

At Fraser's first trial in January 2003, the Crown dropped the charges against Dick and Lucas and called Dick as a prosecution witness. Dick admitted destroying the Ford Fiesta and testified that Fraser had told him he arranged for his wife to be killed and her body disposed of, though Dick denied any involvement in the disappearance itself. On 29 January 2003, Nat Fraser was found guilty of Arlene's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years.

Fraser appealed, and years of litigation followed, including claims that evidence had not been disclosed to the defence and that police officers had lied. His conviction was upheld by the Scottish appeal courts in 2008 and again in 2010, but in May 2011 the UK Supreme Court unanimously allowed his appeal, quashing the conviction and remitting the case for consideration of fresh proceedings. The Crown Office said it would seek to bring a new prosecution, and Arlene's family expressed support for that course while calling the Supreme Court decision "bitterly disappointing."

A second trial took place in 2012 before Lord Bracadale in the High Court in Edinburgh. On 30 May 2012, Fraser was again found guilty by majority verdict of Arlene's murder and sentenced to a minimum of seventeen years. Hector Dick again gave evidence against him. The defence argued the case was "blighted by hindsight and assumption" and suggested during cross-examination that Dick himself had been responsible for the murder, an allegation Dick denied. Lord Bracadale told Fraser he had instigated the premeditated murder of his wife and the mother of his two children, then aged 10 and five, and that the disposal of her body had been carried out with "ruthless efficiency," leaving her family without knowledge of what happened to her remains. A further appeal against the 2012 conviction was refused in October 2013.

Key facts

Victims
Arlene Fraser
Date
1998
Location
Elgin, Moray, Scotland
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1998-04-28

    Arlene Fraser vanishes from her home in Elgin, Moray after her two children leave for school.

  2. 2001

    Hector Dick pleads guilty to a lesser charge relating to a Ford Fiesta linked to the case and is jailed for one year.

  3. 2002-04-26

    Crown Office announces Nat Fraser, Hector Dick and Glenn Lucas are indicted for the murder of Arlene Fraser.

  4. 2003-01

    First trial of Nat Fraser begins; Crown drops charges against Dick and Lucas and calls Dick as a prosecution witness.

  5. 2003-01-29

    Nat Fraser is found guilty of murdering Arlene Fraser and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum 25-year term.

  6. 2005-10-19

    BBC broadcasts a programme alleging Hector Dick lied during the original trial.

  7. 2006-03

    Two inquiries announced after claims relevant evidence was withheld from Fraser's defence.

  8. 2008-05-06

    Court of Criminal Appeal refuses Fraser's appeal against conviction.

  9. 2010-01

    Further appeal alleging unfair earlier appeal hearings is refused.

  10. 2011-05

    UK Supreme Court unanimously allows Fraser's appeal, quashing his conviction and remitting the case for consideration of fresh proceedings.

  11. 2012-05-30

    Nat Fraser is found guilty again by majority verdict at a second trial and sentenced to a minimum of seventeen years.

  12. 2013-07-09

    Channel 4 broadcasts documentary 'The Murder Trial' about the second trial.

  13. 2013-10

    Appeal against the 2012 conviction is refused.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Glenn Lucas

    CHARGED

    Charged with perverting the course of justice and later indicted alongside Fraser and Dick for Arlene Fraser's murder; charges against him were dropped during the first trial.

  • Arlene Fraser

    VICTIM

    33-year-old woman from Elgin, Moray who disappeared on 28 April 1998; her body was never found.

  • Peter Simpson

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Detective Chief Inspector who led the Grampian Police investigation and publicly stated his belief a crime had occurred.

  • Nat Fraser

    CONVICTED

    Husband of Arlene Fraser; convicted of her murder in 2003, conviction quashed by the UK Supreme Court in 2011, then convicted again at a second trial in 2012.

  • Hector Dick

    CHARGED

    Charged alongside Nat Fraser with conspiracy to murder, murder, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice; charges later dropped and he testified as a prosecution witness at both trials.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Elgin, Moray, Scotland

57.6486, -3.3131

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Arlene Fraser, a 33-year-old woman from Elgin, Moray, vanished from her home on 28 April 1998 and was never found. Her husband, Nat Fraser, was convicted of her murder in 2003, had that conviction quashed by the UK Supreme Court in 2011, and was convicted again at a second trial in 2012.
Where did the murder happen?
Elgin, Moray, Scotland.
Who was convicted?
Nat Fraser (Husband of Arlene Fraser; convicted of her murder in 2003, conviction quashed by the UK Supreme Court in 2011, then convicted again at a second trial in 2012.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Scotland

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Arlene FraserWikipedia · 2026-07-05
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-05
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-05

Record history

First published
JUL 06, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 06, 2026