Fintry, August 2012
A great night out in Dundee turned into a tragedy for 50 year old John McMurchie when his life was taken in a senseless attack in the early hours of August 12th 2012. Described as the life and soul of the party, John had been out with his wife, Donna, and some others for a few drinks before returning to a house in Dundee. He had been having such a great time that, when it was time for Donna to go home, John decided to carry on the party a little bit longer.
However, events started to go wrong in a big way once Donna left, and a “significant physical altercation” took place inside the house, resulting in John leaving the property. Within half an hour, he was found seriously injured in Fintry Terrace. The vibrant, fun-loving father of five and grandfather of two was rushed to Ninewells Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. His untimely death was not due to any underlying illness or medical condition, but as a fatal stab wound to the heart.
Word spread through the city very quickly as police swarmed the area. The property alleged to have been the scene of the initial altercation was seized by officers and swiftly became the key focus of the investigation for five months before being returned. A man was initially arrested, but later released without charge.
Detective Inspector Bobby Dow of Tayside Police was quoted as saying: “Someone knows who is responsible and can give John’s family the answers they deserve…I would urge anyone who has knowledge of what took place in the house, or who might be involved, to get in touch with us…Establishing exactly what happened in that house is a significant part of our investigation and may be key to finding out who is responsible for John’s murder”.
Mrs McMurchie was told at a meeting with officers in February 2013 that no detectives were working on the case at that time. Disheartened, but remaining resolute, she said: “They said they have investigated all the avenues that they could and there was no more they could do without finding the murder weapon. The only way now is for the person to come forward and say they did it — but they’re not going to do that are they? Let’s face it.”
Despite appeals for information leading to the arrest of a suspect, the murder goes unsolved and John’s murderer still walks among us to this day.
Like a textbook “whodunit” mystery, nobody seems close to catching the killer, but the McMurchie family still live in the hope that they can have the closure that would finally end their nightmare and allow John to rest in peace. The charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £5,000 to anyone providing information to them anonymously via 0800 555 111 that leads to the arrest and conviction of any person in connection with Mr McMurchie’s murder. Tayside Police can be contacted on 0300 1112222.
– DD Tours operates walking tours in Dundee city, covering dark local history such as wars, battles, murders, diseases, riots, disasters and executions. Walk with us for an unforgettable storytelling experience.
OR