Former detectives who worked on the initial investigation into the murder of Emma Caldwell have told a new podcast that their suspicions about her killer, Iain Packer, were dismissed by senior officers. Ms Caldwell, 27, was killed in 2005, but it was not until 2024 that Packer was convicted of her murder and a series of sexual offences against other women.
Two detectives from Operation Grail, the police investigation, said they and most colleagues in 2005 were certain of Packer's guilt. One described being “100 per cent certain”. However, instead of charging Packer, police arrested a group of Turkish men in 2007, a case that later collapsed.
Former detective Davie Barr said he was convinced Packer was the killer and even phoned his senior investigating officer at home, only to be told “he'll never be accused”. Barr added that Packer had admitted bringing Ms Caldwell to Limefield Woods, where her body was found. “Everybody felt the same,” Barr said. “The really pathetic thing is that other people suffered, other girls were sexually assaulted, in the years that he's been free.”
Another former detective, Stuart Hall, recalled being instructed to stop working on Packer. “I have to do no more work on Packer,” he said, describing being taken into a superintendent's room for the order. Hall had earlier told colleagues he was “100 per cent certain” of Packer's guilt.
A public inquiry chaired by Lord Scott KC will examine the police investigation. Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said Police Scotland is “absolutely committed to supporting the inquiry and getting her loved ones the answers they deserve.”
