The new Netflix docuseries 'Should I Marry a Murderer?' has drawn criticism for its portrayal of police handling of a witness in a murder case. The three-part series tells the story of Caroline Muirhead, a pathologist who discovered her fiancé Sandy McKellar had killed a cyclist in a hit-and-run and buried the body.
After McKellar confessed to the 2016 killing of Tony Parsons, Muirhead went to police and agreed to help locate the body. She marked the burial site with a Red Bull can and continued her relationship with McKellar to avoid suspicion. Despite her cooperation, police failed to provide adequate protection, leaving her in a state of terror that led to drink and drug dependency.
The series highlights the lack of support from authorities, including David Green, head of homicide and major crime in Scotland from 2019-23. Green questioned Muirhead's decision to stay with McKellar, stating, 'I would have run a mile,' and defended the lack of protection, noting she was 'a highly intelligent, fully qualified doctor.'
Muirhead's ordeal included a detective inadvertently revealing her role as a witness during an arrest. The case has sparked outrage over the treatment of women who assist police in dangerous undercover operations.
