Murder Case: The Hunt for Arlene Fraser's Killer Review – An Enraging Tale of Domestic Violence and Murder
When Arlene Fraser vanished from her home in Elgin, Moray in April 1998, suspicion immediately fell upon her abusive husband, Nat. This documentary serves as a sober reflection on violence against women, while also unfolding as a gripping whodunnit where some critical questions remain frustratingly unanswered.
The Eerie Scene of Disappearance
Upon arriving at Arlene Fraser's house, police discovered a scene where time had abruptly halted, akin to a needle lifted hastily from a record. Ordinary sights became deeply disturbing in her absence: a bicycle lay on its side in the yard, a vacuum cleaner was plugged into a socket in the hall, and washing hung on the line. Having waved her two children off to school that Tuesday morning while wearing her dressing gown, Arlene had since disappeared without a trace.
Across two meticulously crafted episodes, Murder Case adeptly balances a sobering examination of violence against women with the suspense of a true crime mystery, where definitive answers continue to elude authorities. The programme outlines the presumed events surrounding Arlene's fate and revisits the twists and surprises of the subsequent trials—or rather, the multiple trials—where concrete evidence persistently failed to materialise. It is a narrative that evokes sadness, rage, frustration, and compelling intrigue.
Arlene's Backstory and Domestic Abuse
Understanding that captivating viewers with intrigue is key to conveying its vital messages, the documentary initially focuses on the chilling abruptness of Arlene's disappearance. She phoned her son's school at 9.41am to inquire about pickup times; when the school called back ten minutes later with the information, there was no answer. Arlene also missed a planned meeting with a friend at 11am.
Her background is carefully detailed: Arlene was a friendly and popular young woman before marrying Nat, who attended their wedding with a black eye—an incident then dismissed as an amusing misfortune. Energetic and free-spirited, she surprised loved ones by adapting smoothly to motherhood, but by then, her trauma had commenced. She sought refuge at Moray Women's Refuge in 1990 and again in 1992, returning to Nat both times. Lorna Creswell, co-founder of the refuge, notes, "They don't see themselves with an alternative or the confidence to move on," highlighting a common pattern among abuse survivors.
By April 1998, however, Arlene had decisively moved forward: on the day she vanished, she was scheduled to meet a divorce lawyer. Just five weeks earlier, Nat had strangled her until she lost consciousness, facing an attempted murder charge. While a judge later sympathised with the defence's claim that this attack was out of character, Dr Emma Plant of the Moray Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership emphasises, "There is no such thing as an isolated incident of violence against women." Domestic abuse revolves around control, and when that power is threatened, killing can become the ultimate means of maintaining it.
Legal Battles and Family Campaign
Despite Nat being the obvious chief suspect, proving his guilt proved nearly impossible due to a lack of body, weapon, forensic evidence, or incriminating witness testimony from that day. His strong alibi initially stalled the case, though numerous suspicious anomalies suggested his involvement, such as his dispassionate reading of a prepared statement at a press conference.
Arlene's family endured agonising uncertainty until months later, when a BBC Scotland Reporting Scotland segment re-examined the facts, prompting tips that led police to investigate a secondhand car purchase and two potential conspirators. The documentary then traces the Fraser family's journey through the exhausting legal proceedings, as Nat's trials for attempted murder and murder devolved into a complex web of bargains, technicalities, appeals, and a retrial in 2012.
Carol Gillies, Arlene's sister, emerges as a figure of determined articulacy throughout her interviews. In collaboration with another family who faced a similar ordeal, the Frasers successfully campaigned for a crucial legal change in Scotland. Now, when abusers withhold the location of their partner's remains, this cruelty must be considered at parole hearings, effectively ensuring such individuals are never released. This represents a form of justice for Arlene, wherever she may rest.
Murder Case: The Hunt for Arlene Fraser's Killer originally aired on BBC Two and remains available on iPlayer, offering a poignant and gripping exploration of a case that continues to resonate.
