A POLICE investigation into the notorious unsolved Cheese Wire murder has made a significant breakthrough as officers have been able to narrow the hunt to 200 possible genetic matches.
Taxi driver George Murdoch, known as “Dod” amongst friends and family, was found dead beside his car in Aberdeen on September 29, 1983, with a cheese wire garrotte lying nearby.
A major investigation was launched at the time and offered a £50,000 reward to catch Murdoch’s killer.
However, more than 40 years later no one has ever been arrested in connection with his death.
Last year, police said advancements in forensic analysis had led to a DNA profile from the scene being identified.
Officers have now described a “significant development” in the case as the DNA profile has now been further enhanced to allow them to search for anyone related to the sample, also known as familial DNA.
Working alongside the National Crime Agency an initial list of 200 possible genetic matches to the profile from the scene has been assembled.
Police are now potentially able to move their investigation forward as they will try to contact people from the list of 200 possible matches to establish any family link to the profile found at the scene of George’s murder.
The major development in the case comes just days before the 41st anniversary of Murdoch’s murder which is on Sunday.
Police are continuing to search for a man who was seen wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt in Wilson’s Sports Bar on Market Street in Aberdeen in 2015, which was the subject of a public appeal last year.
In a statement, Murdoch’s 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.”
Detective Inspector James Callander has urged the public to help and if anyone has any further details they have been encouraged to come forward.
He 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.”
