Murder World: Scotland Series

This is the true story of a murder which took place in Scotland in 1968. It attracted huge media attention at the time: the crowds of people waiting for seats at the trial were so large that the police were forced to erect crush barriers. No wonder—this case had a beautiful woman accused of murder, bizarre sex, money and a very odd love rectangle. Strangely, this case has since been largely forgotten. Perhaps the reason for this is that, in the most basic terms, there is no mystery here. We know who was murdered and who pulled the trigger and we have a reasonable idea of why. What makes this case so fascinating is that the three people involved in the murder all gave very different accounts of what happened. Depending on who you choose to believe, this could be the story of a fragile woman, traumatized by the incessant and bizarre sexual demands of her overbearing and violent husband, who sought solace in the company of a besotted young man and was then further traumatized and punished when he unexpectedly took bloody revenge on her husband. But, it could also be the story of a ruthless and manipulative woman who used her sexuality to inveigle a naïve young man to commit murder on her behalf and then discarded him when he was of no further use to her. Or, it could be none of these things. Let’s take a look at the fascinating case of the killing at kinky cottage and see if we can make sense of the evidence. Murder World: Real crimes, real killers.

There is a common misconception that if a body can’t be found, then no one can be brought to trial for murder. That isn’t true, as one Scottish man discovered. Twice! Arlene Fraser was an attractive, vivacious mother of two young children who lived in the peaceful town of Elgin in the Northeast of Scotland. On the morning of April 28, 1998, she was seen waving to her children as they left for school. One hour later, she called the school to check about a trip. It was a very ordinary day in an ordinary Scottish town. Yet that was the last time anyone saw or heard from Arlene Fraser. Police found no signs of a struggle or foul play in the house, and Arlene’s spectacles, contact lenses, medication, keys, and passport were all still where she had left them. A vacuum cleaner was found in her daughter’s bedroom, plugged in but switched off, as if Arlene had been interrupted during housework and had stepped outside for a moment. However, despite one of the biggest police operations ever mounted in Scotland and a massive search involving the RAF, police dogs, and members of the public, no trace of Arlene or her body were ever found. Despite having a cast-iron alibi for the relevant time, Nat Fraser, Arlene’s husband, was eventually charged with her murder. However, many people felt his trial was unfair, with the police accused of withholding vital evidence and questions being raised about the motivations and honesty of one of the main witnesses for the prosecution. Nat Fraser appealed, his sentence was eventually quashed, and he was freed. Then, he was tried again using essentially the same evidence and the same witnesses. The original verdict was repeated. He appealed, again.... This case raises a number of questions that still remain the subject of heated debate in Scotland. What happened to Arlene Fraser in April 1998? Did her husband really arrange for her abduction and murder? Were any of the trials and appeals fair? Were the verdicts correct? Who was the murderer? Find out the answers to all these questions in this detailed and unbiased look at this extraordinary case. Murder World: real crimes, real killers.