EXCLUSIVE | WATCH: No murder inquiry for grieving Highland family
Murder cops finish re-examination of Kevin McLeod's Wick harbour death.
Last updated 2nd Feb 2018
MFR News can exclusively reveal that Scotland's murder squad will take no further action after re-examining the unexplained death of Kevin McLeod in Wick.
The 24-year-old's body was found in the harbour 20-years-ago, and the investigating police force at the time treated the discovery as an accident after a night out.
Kevin (pictured above) suffered severe abdominal injuries in 1997, and later a Fatal Accident Inquiry recorded an open verdict, meaning his death has always remained unresolved.
A letter from the Procurator Fiscal has confirmed that Northern Constabulary were told to investigate the incident as a potential murder inquiry, and a letter from the pathologist, who carried out the postmortem, suggests there may have been suspicious circumstances, but the legacy force decided Kevin's death was accidental, and it failed to consider potential signs of something sinister.
In January of this year six-detectives from Police Scotland's Major Crime unit were ordered to look back on the evidence gathered by the legacy force at the time, and recently those officers have been speaking to new witnesses that have both come forward, and have been traced.
WATCH: The fresh police activity, which included further investigative work in the Caithness town, came after June McLeod confronted Scotland's police chief live on MFR 2 during Scotland's Talk In programme...
LISTEN: MFR News has been following this story and reporting updates as it develops, and the story has gone national...
Yesterday mum June was told at a family meeting that a team of top Scots cops have found no credible evidence of any violent crime being committed, and now only new information could spark a fresh inquiry.
Our reporter Bryan Rutherford was the only media present at the meeting with the country's top detective who's in-charge of the Major Crime unit.
BELOW: Wick Harbour...
"As a result of MFR breaking the news that Police Scotland was to re-examine Kevin's death, further information had been given to the police" ALLAN MCLEOD
June told him: "Detective Chief Superintendent Blair told us that new people had come forward with information. What that information was, we don't know.
"He more or less said, if any new evidence comes to light, it certainly will be looked into."
"I would beg more people to come forward and help us get to the bottom of Kevin's death."
Uncle Allan added: "As a result of MFR breaking the news that Police Scotland was to re-examine Kevin's death, he said that further information had been given to the police."
"No evidence of criminality. Death remains unexplained. No basis to launch re-investigation" POLICE SCOTLAND
DCS Blair refused MFR's request for an interview following the meeting, but Police Scotland did release this statement less than 10-minutes after he left the McLeod's home: 'Police Scotland recently instigated an assessment of all information known regarding the circumstances of Kevin McLeod’s death. This followed direct contact between Kevin’s mother and the Chief Constable.
'The work was carried out in recognition of the continued impact of Kevin’s death 20 years ago on his parents and their desire for a conclusive outcome. Our sympathies remain with them.
'It is important to stress, this was not a full re-investigation of the death itself, but a careful and considered analysis of a significant volume of information which has been recorded relating to the circumstances since 1997.
BELOW: Detective Chief Superintendent Blair is in-charge of Police Scotland's Major Crime unit...
'Specialist officers from Police Scotland’s Major Crime command undertook this work, which included tracing and speaking to individuals who were in Wick that night and saw Kevin but who had not previously come forward.
'Today I informed Kevin’s parents that having carried out this assessment there is no evidence of criminality and his death remains unexplained leading me to determine that there is no basis on which to launch a full re-investigation. Police Scotland appeals for any witnesses who have information about Kevin's death to come forward and we will fully consider any new and additional information which comes forward.
'The Chief Constable has asked the Head of Professional Standards to carry out a separate assessment to ensure that all matters/complaints raised by the family over the years have been appropriately considered and addressed.'