By Steven Bell

SIGNIFICANT NEW scientific evidence has linked two brutal Dundee murders—which have haunted detectives for quarter of a century—to five other killings across Scotland.

Police yesterday confirmed they are following a “positive line of inquiry” in relation to the late 1970s and early ’80s deaths, although months of detailed inquiry lie ahead.

The unsolved murders include those of Carol Lannen and Elizabeth McCabe, found at Templeton Woods in Dundee; Edinburgh’s World’s End case; and three from Strathclyde.

The link, established as a result of DNA technology, will now lead to a joint investigation by three forces, an Edinburgh Press conference heard yesterday.

The other murders, which took place in the space of a little over three years from 1977, were of Christine Eadie and Helen Scott in East Lothian, Agnes Cooney in Lanarkshire, and Anna Kenny and Hilda McAuley in Glasgow.

As a result of the “significant scientific breakthrough”, detectives from Tayside, Lothian and Borders and Strathclyde will work together under the command of Edinburgh-based Deputy Chief Constable Tom Wood.

Teams of officers from each force have begun analysis of information gathered in connection with all of the cases. It is expected to be months before the “painstaking” process is completed.

Mr Wood said, “DNA tests completed last week have given results which have taken us a considerable step forward. For the first time we have a positive line of inquiry—and indications that a number of murders committed throughout Scotland may be connected.

“The advances in DNA have given us information we could never have imagined in the past. Whereas we had suspicions these cases might be connected, we could not be certain.

“Now we believe they may be and that gives us a clear route to follow—with the strong hope that we will track down the killer(s) of these women even though almost 30 years have passed.”

Mr Wood said that forces regularly review unsolved cases, and increasingly sophisticated forensic science and DNA technology lets detectives re-examine materials in their possession.

The deputy chief constable refused to give further details of the tests, but said the development had not emerged from familial DNA screening carried out last year by police who were investigating the World’s End murders of teenagers Helen Scott and Christine Eadie.

He insisted the inquiries were “at a sensitive stage,” and detectives had to be careful not to harm the investigation by issuing too much information.

Mr Wood refused to say if detectives were seeking one or a number of potential suspects, and urged the public to continue to pass any information to detectives.

Asked if they were hunting a serial killer, he added, “We’re not saying we are looking for one person.

“We’re saying we now realise that, although over the years there’s been a lot of speculation about links between these crimes, we’re now in a position to suggest, or believe, that there may be strong links between these crimes. So much so that we are taking these steps of forming this joint inquiry.”

The link between the cases has long been suspected by officers involved —a meeting between Tayside CID officers and their counterparts in Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders took place in early 1980.

The same seven cases were discussed at that meeting, the similarity being that the Edinburgh two were last seen in a pub and the Strathclyde trio at nightclubs. Other common factors included bodies being found in isolated spots, and handbags or items of clothing being taken.

A Grampian TV documentary on the Dundee killings, and accompanying press coverage, earlier this year resulted in over 100 calls from the public and a list of 35 potential new suspects being drawn up.

The Courier, which gave extensive coverage to the murders both at the time and again at the time of the recent TV documentary, received information which was passed to the police.

Detective Chief Inspector Roddy Ross of Tayside said yesterday that a fully manned incident room would be set up in Dundee and officers would be reviewing all evidence gathered from the murder investigations.

“We will be working with Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders in the investigation of a number of murders which occurred over the past 27 years,” he said.

“Our specific one is the Lannen and McCabe murders. Tayside police never ever stopped investigating these murders, and will be looking again at all the evidence amassed over the years in light of the new evidence.

“We owe it to the families and the hundreds of officers who spent thousands of man hours investigating these murders to find the truth and bring the people responsible to justice.

“We will be establishing an incident room at Dundee which will be fully manned. The initial activity will be based around researching what we have already got.”

Retired chief superintendent Ernie Brown, who was a detective inspector at the time of the murders, said he hoped a conclusion to the notorious unsolved murder cases would close a distressing chapter in the lives of the murdered girls’ families.

“I wish all luck to Lothian and Borders, and other forces along with Tayside, on having an answer to a problem that has been going on for so long,” said Mr Brown. “I hope, perhaps not only for the Lannen and McCabe families but for the other families, (for) any answers that would somehow close what is obviously a distressing chapter.

“If at the end of the day there is a satisfactory conclusion, I hope the officers who worked on the cases appreciate their work was not in vain,” he added.

Elizabeth McCabe’s mother Ann, who now lives out of Dundee, said she did not want to discuss the matter.

Her husband—Elizabeth’s father, James—died several months ago.

A close friend of Elizabeth McCabe, who was with her on the night she disappeared, said last night the breakthrough came as great news.

The woman, who does not wish to be named, said, “I always knew something like this would happen.

“It’s a great relief—a great relief for Elizabeth’s mother, her friends and everyone who knew her that the police are finally in the process of catching whoever was responsible.”