UK UK - Alistair Wilson, 30, murdered at home, Nairn, Scotland, 28 Nov 2004
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it could be that the envelope had just been picked up as a random bit of paper to write Paul on...the fact that it was an envelope was neither here. nor there and. the perp could have. taken it. from a litter bin or anywhere....the front of the envelope may have been addressed to. someone in a conventional way..I wonder if it was and. if the police have checked out the addressee and cleared them of any connection to the case.
what ive just written is probably rubbish but it is possible so I just wanted to. put it out. there...not that much of the. official version makes sense. anyway....
Another thought on the letter. If Paul refers to Paul the Apostle, he was the one that went on the road to Damascus with a letter in his hand giving him permission to persecute the jews, when he had his moment of conversion.
CSIAngus
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Lots of questions about the envelope even if it was devoid of content. What was its size and colour? Was it new or used. Sealed or open? What was the writing style and size of 'Paul'. Was it in capitals? Was 'Paul' written on the edge or centre, parallel to the edge or oblique. We only have a vague sense of this piece of the jigsaw from what the police have released about VW's account, if indeed VW's account gave any more detail than we have already.
What do we know about VW? She answered the door to the killer and got AW to go to the door. Did she get AW to go back to the door the second time after the killer bottled the first attempt? Did the envelope even exist? I'm being deliberately provocative as none of this story makes any sense. Perhaps we need to look at it in a different way?
CSIAngus
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Answering my own question: The envelope was reported to have been small and blue, with Paul on the front, and was empty. Source: The mysterious envelope and the death of Alistair Wilson
The envelope was described as a greeting card size here: Alistair Wilson's wife: Answers would lift 'dark shadow'
So, an empty greeting card envelope, hand-delivered, addressed to first name Paul, 4 weeks before Christmas. Could VW have been mistaken and instead of asking for Alistair Wilson by name, the gunman had asked for her husband. I'm beginning to warm to the mistaken identity theory. Perhaps, if Paul is a real person then they had a lucky escape that night.
The first article says police spoke to thousands of people and collected hundreds of DNA samples. Why were DNA samples taken when there is no DNA evidence?
I read somewhere yesterday that it was A4 size, so lots of conflicting stories about the envelope. Mistaken identity is my favoured theory and I don't buy "professional hitman", fells more like someone decided on murder and used what they had, an 80 year old gun with 20 year old ammunition. That is an amateur. Just the sort of person who might get the wrong victim. Agree, strange about the DNA, what can they test it against?
CSIAngus
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There are 14 other streets in Nairn with Crescent in the name. Did the Police look at who lived at No.10 in those other crescents? Was there a person called Paul living at any of those addresses? Could the mistaken identity be the house and not the person?
The planning application can still be seen on the planning portal but no documents or objections so I assume they have been removed. Hit twice in head and once in chest.
Wondering if it was necessary to shoot 3 times in order to kill AW?
The sight of blood from a close up shot would sicken (hopefully) a person unaccustomed to killing, but the perp shot two more times, was that out of panic in case AW did not die right away, or did the perp enjoy the act of slaying a man with a wife standing by?
speculation, imo.
Could be the sign of a pro but I still doubt that in view of the weapon and ammo. Could be a sign of a crime of passion i.e. anger. I do wonder if the report of two people on the beach with a gun was the perp practising to see if the gun worked. Still researching my theory but nothing concrete, I'm very dogged so will keep on.
If someone comes to the door with an envelope with a name on it I'd usually say he was collecting money for someone called Paul. The only thing is you would not ask for the occupier by name. If only the Police would release what was said between AW and his wife, did he ask for some change?
More recent news articles say PAUL was written on the BACK of the envelope rather than the front. Whether that's right or not and where it came from I don't know. It just adds to the general confusion and as ever nothing is clear.
As for the general description of the envelope. In the early days of the investigation is was described as an A4 envelope. Now it is referred to as a blue coloured greetings card sized envelope. Nate Campbell in his book goes in to the details of the discrepancies over the envelope and gives sources and quotes to back it up. I don't think there's ever been any official statements to clarify anything.
As for the actual shooting. Some believe it was a pro hit due to the two shots to the head and one in the chest. That coupled with the gunman getting away and never being caught. On the other side would a pro allow their intended victim to return inside their property with an envelope with no expectation they would come out again? Would they use an antique weapon that is notoriously inaccurate? Would they let someone else (Veronica) see them? And he didn't succeed in killing his victim outright.
Just about every link in the chain of events that night has problems with it. Very little makes any sense in this case as it stands.
As for the general description of the envelope. In the early days of the investigation is was described as an A4 envelope. Now it is referred to as a blue coloured greetings card sized envelope. Nate Campbell in his book goes in to the details of the discrepancies over the envelope and gives sources and quotes to back it up. I don't think there's ever been any official statements to clarify anything.
As for the actual shooting. Some believe it was a pro hit due to the two shots to the head and one in the chest. That coupled with the gunman getting away and never being caught. On the other side would a pro allow their intended victim to return inside their property with an envelope with no expectation they would come out again? Would they use an antique weapon that is notoriously inaccurate? Would they let someone else (Veronica) see them? And he didn't succeed in killing his victim outright.
Just about every link in the chain of events that night has problems with it. Very little makes any sense in this case as it stands.
Antonia
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I was curious about rumours that 'the chef did it', and found these two articles, one soon after the crime and one recent, which make me very suspicious about the hotel-owner - touching the victim's body as he lies dying on the stretcher, to secure AW's watch, or delay the ambulance? :-o
www.heraldscotland.com
www.dailyrecord.co.uk
Chef sacked after closing hotel on night of Nairn banker's murder
A CHEF who claims he was sacked for closing a hotel on the night Alistair Wilson, the banker, was murdered has settled a claim for unfair dismissal…
Key witness in banker's murder was at scene of shooting as probe takes new twist
Publican Andy Burnett stopped the dying dad from slipping off the stretcher and fixed his watch at the scene of the shooting in 2004.
CSIAngus
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I think the pub is a dead end in this investigation. I've come to the view that AW was not the intended recipient of the envelope, which when returned empty to the man at the door resulted in him being shot. He was either the wrong AW or the wrong No.10. None of this has made sense because the killing of AW made no sense. Whatever was the cause of the assailant visiting that night (drug money, unpaid debts, or something else), AW was not the intended recipient of the envelope or the bullets.
One thing I've always been curious about is the lack of information that Veronica was able to give the police about her conversation with Alastair. Given he spoke to the guy for some time. You would have thought he would have told Veronica as much as he knew. All we seem to know is that AW was confused and asked Veronica if she was sure the guy had asked for him. It does sound like AW didn't know what was going on but the police have always said they don't believe it was a case of mistaken identity. Veronica was bound to have asked him who it was and what they wanted, yet it's all a complete blank.
Was there no CCTV on the Havelock Inn? Not seen anything about any. Does anyone know if the gun came from Guernsey and who the landlords golfing friend in Guernsey was that the police interviewed? Just loose ends I picked up.
There was CCTV at the Havelock but it was (conveniently?) switched off on the night in question. All other CCTV in the area was either switched off or not working that night. Whether or not the gunman knew that nobody knows.
Thanks, as you say, very convenient for the killer. The key to this is motive and like everyone else I am still baffled but don't buy the decking theory, it has to be something unknown about AW or a lone nutter with who knows what reason.
CSIAngus
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We know that the murder weapon, an HS pocket pistol, was manufactured in Germany 1922-30, and that the ammunition was manufactured by Czech Republic-based Sellier and Bellot, who still manufacture ammunition. Do we know if the bullets were modern, post-WW2, or were contemporary with the manufacture and general circulation of the pistol? Is the killer someone who had access to a gun with old rounds and just had to load, point and fire, or was he someone who had an old gun and had to source bullets of the same caliber recommended for, say, a modern Browning? The former requires no expertise but the latter requires knowledge of firearms and how to procure the correct ammunition.
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Ammo was from 80's as I understand.