Netflix's three-part docuseries 'Should I Marry a Murderer?' tells the story of Caroline Muirhead, a pathologist who fell in love with a Scottish farmer she met on Tinder, only to discover he was a killer. The series highlights her bravery and the shocking neglect she faced from the police.
Caroline, then 29, met Sandy McKellar after a bad relationship. Despite warnings from his twin brother Robert that Sandy was 'not right in the head', she accepted his marriage proposal. Sandy later confessed to a hit-and-run that killed cyclist Tony Parsons three years earlier, with Robert's help burying the body.
Caroline went to the police, who asked her to locate the body. She did, marking it with a Red Bull can. The police promised to keep her identity secret, but then told her to cut contact with the twins, which would have revealed her role. Terrified, she continued the relationship, gathering evidence while turning to drink and drugs.
The police did not provide protection or extra security when asked, and a detective inadvertently shouted 'What the fuck, Caroline? You're our witness!' during an arrest. David Green, head of homicide and major crime in Scotland from 2019-23, criticised Caroline for staying with Sandy, saying 'I would have run a mile', and stood by the decision not to protect her, noting she was 'a highly intelligent, fully qualified doctor'.
The series also features defence counsel Brian McConnachie KC, who appeared dismissive of Caroline's ordeal. The docuseries is a tale of her bravery and the shocking stupidity and neglect it was rewarded with.
