The two part documentary is set to explore one of Scotland’s longest unsolved cases
Channel 5’s The Wire: Forensics Murder airs on Channel 5 tonight at 10pm(Image: Channel 5)
Channel 5 is set to air a harrowing two part true crime documentary exploring a decades-long murder case, with true crime fans being urged to tune in.
The Wire: Forensics Murder will plunge viewers into the chilling murder of an Aberdeen taxi driver, who was brutally killed back in 1983. George ‘Dod’ Murdoch was brutally killed with a cheese wire while picking up a customer from the Pitfodels Station Road area of Cults.
Being one of Scotland’s longest unsolved cases, the two part documentary is the perfect watch for fans of true crime, with both instalments set to air tonight (Thursday, March 26) on Channel 5 from 10pm.
George Murdoch with his wife Jessie in 1977(Image: PA)
A Channel 5 synopsis reads: “A DNA breakthrough may finally solve Aberdeen taxi driver George Murdoch’s 1983 murder. With exclusive access, we follow the cold case investigation and the hunt for the killer’s identity.”
Nobody has ever been convicted of his murder, with the case becoming amongst Scotland’s most infamous and longest-running unsolved killings, reports Aberdeen Live.
At the time, two youngsters witnessed the assault and rushed to alert police from a telephone box, but by the time authorities arrived, George had died and his killer had disappeared. 58-year-old George was found near his vehicle.
The first episode starts with a chilling plea as presenter Kirsty Wark said: “There are hundreds of cold cases in the UK, killers getting away with their crimes. George Murdoch, a taxi driver in Aberdeen, was brutally killed more than four decades ago.
“Now you could help catch the killer at last. Please watch very closely, some detail that you see could prove vital.”
The Channel 5 doc will hear from Alec McKay, the nephew of George Murdoch(Image: Channel 5)
Despite detectives pursuing leads, alongside conducting 10,000 door-to-door enquiries and recording 7,000 statements, the perpetrator has never been identified.
A significant development in the case emerged in 2023 when advances in forensic technology allowed police to extract a DNA profile of a man, which allowed investigators working on the cold case to rule out particular suspects.
Detectives, alongside the National Crime Agency, compiled a roster of individuals with potential genetic connections to the profile. This fresh lead was recently examined in a two-part Channel 5 documentary, which also features police officers conversing with residents in other parts of the UK who may be genetically connected.
In the programme, Detective Inspector James Callander, from Police Scotland, stated: “The family has hopes and expectations. Nobody has ever been brought to justice for this crime. Familial DNA is the key to solving this.”
