UK UK - Alistair Wilson, 30, murdered at home, Nairn, Scotland, 28 Nov 2004

[Professor Moriarty]

Shortly before his book's release in 2018 he told the Press & Journal: “I have been told that a motive for Alistair’s killing is common knowledge amongst certain members of the legal profession in the central belt and the reason they don’t speak out is because they don’t want someone with a gun turning up on their doorstep.”

What do people make of this?

The motive has been to do with the IRA, decking, a football club, bank loans and something of which only lawyers are aware and they are all keeping quiet. (Couldn't they pass it to the police anonymously?)

Who told Peter Bleksley about this secret knowledge?

 

[dm799]

Bleksley loves to make baseless claims, especially when he has something to sell, IMO.

 

[Eastend Eagle]

Next week marks the 21st anniversary of this murder.

It has been said that due to it's small size the gun used in this murder is not an easy one to kill with and therefore could only be used effectively by a true expert in guns.
This perhaps points to someone either military trained, police trained or perhaps even an ex-Olympian.
MOO/JMO

 

[Professor Moriarty]

It has been said that due to it's small size the gun used in this murder is not an easy one to kill with and therefore could only be used effectively by a true expert in guns.
This perhaps points to someone either military trained, police trained or perhaps even an ex-Olympian.
MOO/JMO

I don't see why. The calibre of the gun was small, but the calibre of the rifle that the Japanese used most in world war 2 was hardly any bigger, albeit the bullets were rifle bullets. The killer was very close to AW and fired three shots. At least one was a head-shot. At that distance, the shooter could not miss and he could fire as many times as he wanted.

 

[Eastend Eagle]

I don't see why. The calibre of the gun was small, but the calibre of the rifle that the Japanese used most in world war 2 was hardly any bigger, albeit the bullets were rifle bullets. The killer was very close to AW and fired three shots. At least one was a head-shot. At that distance, the shooter could not miss and he could fire as many times as he wanted.

A likely two quick shots to the head followed by one to the chest would seem professional.
MOO/JMO

 

[Professor Moriarty]

A likely two quick shots to the head followed by one to the chest would seem professional.
MOO/JMO

Anyone could do that. There are lots of gun freaks.

 

[wackyw]

Anyone could do that. There are lots of gun freaks.

Especially at a distance of say ... 3 ft ?!!

 

[wackyw]

Can someone confirm what is within WS acceptability here regarding discussion of possible family involvement? From the "T&C" I think I can see that "sleuthing" the victim of family is not allowed, which appears to be checking out their facebook accounts etc etc ... but does that also include discussing possible motive/method as well?

 

[seasideForest]

Can someone confirm what is within WS acceptability here regarding discussion of possible family involvement? From the "T&C" I think I can see that "sleuthing" the victim of family is not allowed, which appears to be checking out their facebook accounts etc etc ... but does that also include discussing possible motive/method as well?

If you report your own post to a Mod they'll be able to tell you.

fwiw I don't think even discussing possible family involvement is OK, but I haven't read T&C recently.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Especially at a distance of say ... 3 ft ?!!

In some shootings (AW, Jill Dando and others) some people (generally) comment that the shooter must be special forces, a "professional" hitman etc) just because the victim is shot in the head, shot twice or whatever. I don't think that follows. If someone makes the comment that a technique is used by special forces, hitmen or similar that means that the person making the comment also is also aware of the technique. That doesn't make the person making the comment an assassin. If you want to make sure of killing someone, it would be natural to fire more than once or to shot the victim in the head, especially if using a small calibre pistol. It isn't really a technique.

 

[davidt]

I'm no expert on guns but my understanding is that the weapon used is considered inaccurate other than at close range. In this case of course that wouldn't come in to it as the killer was presumably very close. Its tended to be viewed more as a defensive weapon usually. Of course we don’t have any idea if the shooting was premeditated or something that happened in the heat of the moment. It doesn't look like a weapon of choice for a professional killing unless that person was confident of bring close to the victim. Of course even bring shot at close range Alastair didn't die immediately either.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

I'm no expert on guns but my understanding is that the weapon used is considered inaccurate other than at close range. In this case of course that wouldn't come in to it as the killer was presumably very close. Its tended to be viewed more as a defensive weapon usually. Of course we don’t have any idea if the shooting was premeditated or something that happened in the heat of the moment. It doesn't look like a weapon of choice for a professional killing unless that person was confident of bring close to the victim. Of course even bring shot at close range Alastair didn't die immediately either.

One advantage of the small calibre gun was that it was very quiet and could be fired multiple times without people in the pub opposite noticing. (It was also available, probably originally a souvenir. Glocks, Sig Sauers etc cost hundreds of pounds, but in any case were most likely not available.)

 

[SteveH]

Ex-detective claims new evidence links suspect to murder of banker

Former Metropolitan Police detective and host of Channel Four's Hunted series Peter Bleksley has revealed details of new evidence in the unsolved murder of Nairn banker Alistair Wilson.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Sounds like the bloke who spoke to Bleksley might be the same bloke as the one who contacted me earlier in the year. And I didn't have to go all the way to Nairn! From my comment of August 30 on this thread:

"I had been contacted on another site by someone who claims to have known the suspect. He seems pretty genuine but he didn't get back to me when pressed for more info. FWIW he told me that he knew the suspect until about 2011 and that the bloke had said "something alarming" to his brother about why he always had loads of cash. He also said this man used to steal from ambulances, and that he had been in his house and "can state beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had access to multiple illegal firearms and they were not secured at all."

He had tried to contact Peter Bleksley but to no avail. He also said that "where the gun was found makes practically ZERO sense, at all, especially if you know the area...I have one idea of why it was found there but I cant prove it with out knowing something about the suspect's father who I believe has long since passed away." He also confirmed that the suspect was a Havelock regular and was friends with Andy Burnet."

 

[Professor Moriarty]

He also said that "where the gun was found makes practically ZERO sense, at all, especially if you know the area...I have one idea of why it was found there but I cant prove it with out knowing something about the suspect's father who I believe has long since passed away."

Do we know why it makes zero sense where the gun was found? An odd escape route? Why?

Does anyone know what the one idea about why it was found there might be?

 

[dotr]

Snippets from lengthy article. rbbm.
Norman Silvester 1 December 2025

Ex-detective claims new evidence links suspect to murder of banker Alistair Wilson

Former Metropolitan Police detective and host of Channel Four's Hunted series Peter Bleksley has revealed details of new evidence in the unsolved murder of Nairn banker Alistair Wilson.

uk.news.yahoo.com

''Peter was in the seaside town last week to speak to local people in a bid to solve the 21 year old homicide.
He based himself at the Havelock Hotel directly opposite where Alistair was shot dead on the doorstep of his home. During his stay Peter, 65, was contacted by a local man who provided fresh information about a suspect that Peter has previously identified''.

''The suspect, who is in his early 40's, was living in Nairn at the time of Alistair's murder and has recently spent time in prison for a drugs offence. Peter's source recalled an invite he and others received to the suspect's home in Nairn - around 15 years ago - after spending the evening in the Havelock''.

"I have unearthed potential new evidence on the suspect having illegally owned weapons in his house some years after Alistair's murder.''

"He was also described as being weird and that is a recurring word people use to describe him to me."

''Peter says his suspect has an uncle called Paul.''

Peter, 65, is also willing to meet detectives investigating the case to share his findings.

He plans to reveal more information about Alistair's murder and the suspect in a one-man stage show "Makings of a Murderer" that will tour Britain from January 8 including dates in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.''

 

[SteveH]

Do we know why it makes zero sense where the gun was found? An odd escape route? Why?

Does anyone know what the one idea about why it was found there might be?

Unfortunately the guy who contacted me on an unmentionable website after I had put out some details there on the police's (and Bleksley's) suspect has now deleted all his comments. I did ask him for more info and permission to quote him in full but he didn't get back to me. I'm convinced it's the same guy who contacted Bleksley in Nairn recently as he discussed trying to get hold of him. The article I linked said that Bleksley had "new evidence", "fresh information" and talks about "his source". If old Peter had read this Websleuths thread back in August he could have picked up on all this earlier and saved himself a trip. It looks as if it was flippin' cold up there:

I have no idea about the odd disposal of the gun or the "one idea" that "MY source" (!) was talking about.

 

[davidt]

Snippets from lengthy article. rbbm.
Norman Silvester 1 December 2025

Ex-detective claims new evidence links suspect to murder of banker Alistair Wilson

Former Metropolitan Police detective and host of Channel Four's Hunted series Peter Bleksley has revealed details of new evidence in the unsolved murder of Nairn banker Alistair Wilson.

uk.news.yahoo.com

''Peter was in the seaside town last week to speak to local people in a bid to solve the 21 year old homicide.
He based himself at the Havelock Hotel directly opposite where Alistair was shot dead on the doorstep of his home. During his stay Peter, 65, was contacted by a local man who provided fresh information about a suspect that Peter has previously identified''.

''The suspect, who is in his early 40's, was living in Nairn at the time of Alistair's murder and has recently spent time in prison for a drugs offence. Peter's source recalled an invite he and others received to the suspect's home in Nairn - around 15 years ago - after spending the evening in the Havelock''.

"I have unearthed potential new evidence on the suspect having illegally owned weapons in his house some years after Alistair's murder.''

"He was also described as being weird and that is a recurring word people use to describe him to me."

''Peter says his suspect has an uncle called Paul.''

Peter, 65, is also willing to meet detectives investigating the case to share his findings.

He plans to reveal more information about Alistair's murder and the suspect in a one-man stage show "Makings of a Murderer" that will tour Britain from January 8 including dates in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.''

So not an attempt to sell tickets for his show then?

 

[Konstantin]

I have no idea about the odd disposal of the gun or the "one idea" that "MY source" (!) was talking about.

Sounds like "bait" - he's dropping mysterious things in the conversation that make not a lot of sense to keep you on the hook. It also makes him sound like he knows something, has "special" knowledge that he is hinting at.

 

[Konstantin]

I'm no expert on guns but my understanding is that the weapon used is considered inaccurate other than at close range. In this case of course that wouldn't come in to it as the killer was presumably very close. Its tended to be viewed more as a defensive weapon usually. Of course we don’t have any idea if the shooting was premeditated or something that happened in the heat of the moment. It doesn't look like a weapon of choice for a professional killing unless that person was confident of bring close to the victim. Of course even bring shot at close range Alastair didn't die immediately either.

It really does not seem at all like a "professional" killing in that the suspect stood at the door, was seen by AW's wife, waited there while AW went back in to talk to the wife and might never have come back out at all, and then, only then did he shoot him and AW didn't die immediately and might have survived to identify him. None of that seems remotely professional to me. Sounds like a nutter who had or thought he had a bone to pick with AW but AW didn't seem to really know what it was about. Which again suggests to me that it didn't make very much sense.

 

[Melquiades]

It really does not seem at all like a "professional" killing in that the suspect stood at the door, was seen by AW's wife, waited there while AW went back in to talk to the wife and might never have come back out at all, and then, only then did he shoot him and AW didn't die immediately and might have survived to identify him. None of that seems remotely professional to me. Sounds like a nutter who had or thought he had a bone to pick with AW but AW didn't seem to really know what it was about. Which again suggests to me that it didn't make very much sense.

There's no way in hell this was a professional killing.

This was someone with a personal issue with the victim who went there to threaten or negotiate with the victim and then things unexpectedly escalated.

You don't go to someone's house to kill them and talk to them at the door for several minutes before letting them go back in the house, not knowing if they'll return.