Suzanne Pilley was a 38-year-old bookkeeper who lived on Whitson Road in Edinburgh, Scotland, and worked at an office on Thistle Street in the city's New Town. On the morning of 4 May 2010 she left home for work as usual. Closed-circuit television captured her near St Andrew Square shortly before nine o'clock, and a further sighting placed her walking toward Thistle Street. She never arrived at the office, and she was reported missing to police that afternoon.
Pilley had been in an on-and-off relationship with David Gilroy, a colleague at the same firm. In the days before she disappeared, the two had exchanged numerous messages, and Gilroy later told police the relationship had recently ended. When Pilley could not be traced — with no activity on her bank cards, no contact with family or friends, and her pets left unattended — investigators began treating the case as a murder inquiry.
The investigation gathered largely circumstantial evidence. Specialist search dogs indicated areas in the basement of the workplace and in the boot of Gilroy's car. Forensic examiners noted scratches on Gilroy consistent with a struggle, and a journey he made to Argyll the day after Pilley vanished could not be fully accounted for by his vehicle's fuel use. Gilroy was arrested and charged with murder on 23 June 2010.
His trial opened at the High Court of Justiciary, sitting in Edinburgh, on 20 February 2012. The prosecution argued that the sudden and total interruption of Pilley's life pointed to her death, and that Gilroy had the opportunity to kill her. The defence emphasised that the case rested entirely on circumstantial evidence and that no body had been recovered. Gilroy did not give evidence. On 15 March 2012 the jury returned a majority guilty verdict for murder and for attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
On 18 April 2012, the presiding judge sentenced Gilroy to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years. The sentencing became the first in the United Kingdom to be filmed for same-day broadcast. Gilroy's appeals against conviction were rejected in December 2012, and a later bid to take the case to the UK Supreme Court was unsuccessful. A review by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission was later closed.
Suzanne Pilley's body has never been found. The search focused on forested areas of Argyll, including the Rest and Be Thankful, but her remains were not recovered. Her family has made repeated public appeals for information that would allow them to lay her to rest, and the case contributed to discussion of parole rules for offenders who refuse to disclose the location of a victim's body.
Thistle Street, New Town, Edinburgh — Pilley's workplace and destination on the morning she disappeared
Case status
solved
Case timeline
1972
Suzanne Pilley is born.
2010-05-03
Last known phone contact between Suzanne Pilley and David Gilroy.
2010-05-04
Pilley leaves her Edinburgh home for work, is captured on CCTV near St Andrew Square, and is reported missing that afternoon after failing to arrive at her Thistle Street office.
2010-05-19
Police begin treating the disappearance as a murder investigation.
2010-06-23
David Gilroy is arrested and charged with murder.
2012-02-20
Gilroy's trial begins at the High Court of Justiciary, sitting in Edinburgh.
2012-03-15
Gilroy is found guilty by majority verdict of murder and of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
2012-04-18
Gilroy is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years; the sentencing is the first in the UK filmed for same-day broadcast.
2012-12-20
Gilroy's appeal against conviction is rejected.
2013
A bid to take the case to the UK Supreme Court is unsuccessful.
2017
The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission closes its review of the case.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Truly Criminal / 27 min
Missing In The Moorlands: The Murder Of Suzanne Pilley
People
Suzanne Pilley
VICTIM
38-year-old bookkeeper who disappeared on 4 May 2010 while travelling to her workplace in Edinburgh; her body has never been recovered.
David Gilroy
CONVICTED
Former partner and colleague of Suzanne Pilley; convicted on 15 March 2012 of her murder and of attempting to defeat the ends of justice, and sentenced to life imprisonment with an 18-year minimum term.
Stuart Houston
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Detective Chief Superintendent, Police Scotland; spoke on the tenth anniversary of the disappearance about the investigation and the ongoing effort to recover Pilley's body.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Suzanne Pilley, a 38-year-old Edinburgh bookkeeper, disappeared on 4 May 2010 while travelling to work. Her former partner and colleague David Gilroy was convicted of her murder in 2012 despite her body never being recovered.
Where did the murder happen?
Thistle Street, New Town, Edinburgh — Pilley's workplace and destination on the morning she disappeared.
Who was convicted?
David Gilroy (Former partner and colleague of Suzanne Pilley; convicted on 15 March 2012 of her murder and of attempting to defeat the ends of justice, and sentenced to life imprisonment with an 18-year minimum term.).
