Appeal for Information Aberdeen Taxi Driver Murder 1983 - George Murdoch

12/11/2025

HIDING IN THE DARKNESS

Most of us will have heard of the phrase, Truth or Consequences. I believe it originated as the title of an American quiz show in the 1940s' and refers to a game, where one must choose between answering a question truthfully or facing a penalty for failure. Whenever I hear this phrase, it makes me think of the alibis which were collected by police after this crime had been committed. Without doubt (in my opinion) not all would have been 100% truthful, because two of the most powerful emotions would have been at play here. Love and fear. If a close bond of love had existed between a mother, wife or some one else whom the killer was close to, that is understandable. We're all human and when it comes to those we love, we want to protect them, no matter the cost. Some ties are impossible to break. But at the other end of the spectrum, fear could have played just as big a part. The killer may have been in an abusive relationship with his wife/partner. Perhaps there was no love lost between him and his mother/parents, but they knew the consequences if they failed to provide hm with a false alibi as to his whereabouts on that night. They could have been dire? The fear that generated also is understandable.

However, all that being said, it is now 42yrs on from the grisly slaying of GM. In all that time, often people's attitudes to others change, even within the most loving of families, or relationships. In fact it is sometimes true to say that the deeper the love, the deeper the hate. Back in 1983, the killer, along with the truth, disappeared into the night, under cover of darkness and both have been lurking in the shadows ever since. Just within, but still sufficiently outwith our reach.

So, if you are reading this and are, or were, close to, or related to the person who killed George Murdoch, let me ask you this. If you gave him a false alibi 42yrs ago, are you now prepared to come forward with the truth? Not to the police, but to us? The £50,000 reward is still in place. Even if you have no need of the money, maybe someone you love, could benefit from it? There need be no police involvement. We guarantee you 100% anonymity, if that is your wish. You could even set up an email address under a false name, then email your information to:- [email protected] Or simply privately send a Facebook message to this Page. We shall never reveal your name to the police. All we need from you is the name of the individual who murdered George and, let us know if he is still alive, or has now passed himself?

With the advances in science over the years, we, and police, remain confident this case will be solved. Having a profile of the killer's DNA has been a huge step forward. And now with Familial Testing ongoing, it brings the liklihood of success ever closer. But the reward will only be paid out if you come forward personally.

All we want is for George to be able to rest in peace for all eternity. If his murder goes unsolved he will forever be denied that. He was taken so unfairly, so brutally and so painfully from this life. Without any chance to see his wife one last time. Jessie's life also destroyed that same night. They were a loving, kind couple. Didn't bother anyone, they lived their lives quietly and peacefully. George didn't have to stop for that pick-up on the night. He was halfway through his shift and about to head home for a bite to eat, when he spotted the guy flagging down a taxi. It was a miserable wet night and being the kindly man he was, George stopped for the guy. His reward for that kindly act? His death.

If anyone at all knows, or has long held strong suspicions as to the identity of this taxi driver's killer, please let us know.

Private message us at this FB Page
Email us at [email protected]

28/09/2025

BEGINNING OF THE END

Tomorrow, 29th Sept 2025, marks the 42nd anniversary of the murder of George Murdoch. The grisly details of this heinous crime filled the city with disbelief, shock and fear. An attempted garrotting of a taxi driver near Cults. A cheesewire, used in the frenzied attack. The driver found dying beside his cab. His killer at large.

George Murdoch picked up his last fare around 8.30pm, outside the above hotel - The New Marcliffe on Queen's Rd on that Thurs night, 29th Sept 1983. Were you in the vicinity on the night? Perhaps standing outside the hotel with friends, waiting for your pre-booked taxi to arrive? Did you see a blue Ford Cortina City taxi, which would have been travelling down Queen's Rd, heading into the town centre, do a U turn, then double park outside this hotel, in order to pick up a single guy who'd been trying to hail a taxi? His fare got in behind the driver and the taxi headed off westwards, into the night. Approx 15mins later George lay dying, after being strangled.

Does the hotel photo of The New Marcliffe jog any memories? Were you perhaps drinking in any of those West-end hotel bars that night with friends and maybe noticed a single guy at the bar? Or standing outside, do you remember a guy on his own walking westwards on Queen's Rd, trying to get a taxi, before the City taxi made a U turn to stop for him? Description of male passenger seen entering the taxi:- 20s'-30s; dark short hair; clean shaven; in dark clothes, possibly wearing dark jumper.

Did you know anyone who had a fascination with strangulation? In a fight with a "mate" did he ever attempt to put you in a stranglehold or similar? Not enough to injure, but was this joked about as his "MO?"

Did you know anyone who'd boast about being able to strangle someone, then bring them back and so on and so forth, but without causing them lasting injury?

Know anyone who was abusive to his wife/partner and had used these practices on them before?

Was he fascinated by strangulation and possessed a controlling nature?

Loyalty is an admirable virtue, but if your sense of loyalty is too extreme, you end up remaining blindly loyal to an individual, no matter what bad decisions, unethical practices, or evil deeds (such as murder) he may commit. You will defend the person you are loyal to, defend what he has done, pretend that "it wasn't that bad", put the blame on someone else. No matter what! Even a cruel, senseless and brutal murder will never encourage you to come forward. There is a very high likliehood that the name of George's killer is contained within those 10K+ statements taken back in 1983. But there was never any way to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt, or at least enough to elevate that individual to "suspect" status. And this is not the fault of the police. Unfortunately the bar is set so high by the Crown Office, so many t's have to be crossed and i's dotted, in order for police to meet the status of suspect, that even in 42 years, this was never possible.

But now, there is a good chance that the balance has finally tipped in favour of the righteous, thanks to the advances of Forensics Science. I believe I'm correct in saying that this is the first time that Familial DNA Testing has been used in a cold case murder in Scotland. The police hope it will be successful, we think it will be successful. And whether he is alive or dead, one way or another, George Murdoch will finally receive justice.

But there is one quicker way to get this case solved. If you know the killer's name, or suspect you might, please contact the police or us. Once the police have 100% confirmed the info to be correct, you will receive the £50,000 reward. And if you have no need of the money, then you can give to a charity of your choice, or present as a gift to your family?

Contact us via private message at this page
Email:- [email protected]

21/09/2025

THE FACE OF EVIL - IS THIS THE CHEESE WIRE KILLER?
(see photofit at bottom of post)

A cold wet Autumn night, Thurs 29th Sept 1983. Taxi driver, George Murdoch, lies dying on the hard pavement. His killer close, astride his body, bending over him with his hands around his neck. Strangling his victim. George had already suffered an attempted garrotting inside his cab. But despite his shock and fear, had somehow managed to wrestle the deadly thin cheesewire up and over his head, preventing the wire from slicing clean through his neck. The attack continues outside the cab. The first officer on the scene tells of the presence of lots of blood on the wall nearby and pavement. As shown in the recent CH5 documentary, does this photofit represent a close likeness to the killer? Does it resemble the face which looked down upon the taxi driver, as his killer methodically and cruelly went about his deadly task? To manually strangle a victim takes a long time approx 5-6ins, probably longer. An attacker would have time to stop & reconsider his actions, to pull back, come to his senses? But this killer did not. Why? If this was a "murder gone wrong", it did indeed go very very wrong. But if this was intended to be a murder, then robbery, that succeeded! A Thurs evening, around 8.45pm. Pitfodels Stn Rd near the top, just off the N.Deeside Rd. Were you in the vicinity around that time? Did you pass by that road? See anything unusual? Next week marks the 42nd anniversary of this case. Will you help us achieve justice for George Murdoch?

If you know anything, please contact us via private message at the FB Page
Or email us:- [email protected] (Your anonymity will be guaranteed if you wish)
REWARD REMAINS AT £50,000

08/09/2025

THANK YOU

Dear friends, following on from the CH5 documentary regarding this case, which aired on 21st & 22nd July, we wish to extend our most sincere thanks to all of you for the overwhelming response we received. A huge amount of information came into the police and to us. It will take time for them to work their way through all of it. They have been very busy with "live" cases since the prog aired, hence their entire focus has been on those. However, they are slowly getting back again to this cold case and DI Callander wishes to reassure you that they will be in touch soon, with all who kindly contacted them and who messaged our FB Page. He appreciates your understanding.

The series averaged 1.1 million viewers, with a 6.4% share that outperformed the primetime average by 21%.

Special thanks to Steph Atkinson (Lion TV) and to Hannah Livingston (Producer/Director) and to all at CH5. To former DI Gary Winter for his valuable contribution to this case and his help and guidance over the years and, to DI James Callander and the MIT Team, for all they have done and continue to do. I know this documentary claimed a great deal of the DI's time, but from the comments, tips and info we and the police have received, I think it has been well worth it.

To Fubar, for accepting and agreeing to add this post to your FB Page. That helped enormously to expand the reach. The followers on our Appeals FB page have increased by over 200 and the number of page likes also have increased greatly. Thank you all for your interest and kind words. Your support is greatly appreciated and your involvement really is crucial. The more people who get to hear of this case, the greater the chance of it being solved.

Prior to the documentary airing, we posted a short video clip, which showed one of George and Jessie's neighbours, fishing. For those who are familiar with this tragic and brutal murder, it presents a rather haunting sight. The guy seen fishing was 13yrs old at the time George was murdered. Only a boy, having just entered his teenage years. Yet that lad was responsible for single-handedly pulling George's widow, Jessie, back from the abyss of grief which had threatened to overwhelm her. So great was his love for the kindly taxi driver and his wife and, seeing how quickly Jessie was fading since she lost her husband, he suggested to his parents that he'd go and stay overnight with Jessie, if they thought this might help her. Even though he was only a youngster, he thought having someone else in the house might bring her some comfort knowing she wasn't alone. He did this for over 2 years, every single night, never missing once.

The hours of darkness were always the worst for Jessie. As soon as she closed her eyes, the terrifying visions of the death endured by her husband would return to haunt her. The cheesewire around his neck, the brutal beating outside the cab, hearing his faint cries for help, as he lay on the ground, close to death, his attacker intent on strangling him with his bare hands. The documentary did an excellent job of showing, all these years later, how DNA and now familial DNA testing has advanced this case. But there is also another aspect to this senseless, grotesque murder - the human side of this tragedy. Murder affects more than the victims, sadly, who lost their lives. It erodes into a community's sense of safety and trust. Focusing on the human side moves beyond the physical act of killing. It explores and highlights the internal struggles, the lasting psychological and emotional repercussions for all involved. In this case, the victim's wife, Jessie.

Just prior to the 40th anniversary of this cold case, Ryan Ogilvie released a docudrama podcast, entitled:- Who Is The Cheesewire Killer? There are 5 episodes, each approx 40min long. It is both produced and narrated by Ryan and tells the story of this tragic and brutal murder, beg with when George left his home for the last time on that fateful day, 29th Sept 1983, up until the discovery of the killer's DNA profile two years ago. That news being released on 29th Sept 2023 by DI Callander. In the podcast, Ryan also interviews police detectives, P&J journalists, psychologists, Alex McKay (George's nephew) and the first police officer on the scene, Allan Hendry, who tells of the bloody scene awaiting him, when he arrived at Pitfodels Stn Rd on the night of the murder. It is an excellent, very moving, accurate and comprehensive account of this tragedy, with input from various experts. It is available to listen to on the following platforms:-

Apple Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/WITCWK-Apple
Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/WITCWK-Spotify
Amazon Music - https://tinyurl.com/WITCWK-Amazon
Audible - https://tinyurl.com/WITWK-Audible

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. September, 1983. Aberdeen Taxi Driver, George Murdoch was almost halfway through his long taxi shift, when he picked up a passenger, close to the city centre. On route to his passenger’s destination, for some unknown reason, George turned his taxi ...

20/07/2025

SHORT VIDEO CLIP FROM Channel 5 DOCUMENTARY

The documentary soon to air tomorrow night, 21st at 9pm on CH5 has received excellent coverage from a number of newspapers and we are thankful and grateful for that. One magazine caught my eye, The Radio Times. It shares a short video clip, which gives you a little insight into a very important part of the documentary. That of the 13yr old youngster, son of Jessie & Dod's next door neighbours. Both families had always been very close, and, as has been mentioned before, George & Jessie were like grandparents to young David and his sister. Yet after the devastation of George's murder, this young lad, only just into his teens, took it upon himself to provide the lifeline Jessie badly needed. I don't believe he'd have given it much thought. It was more instinctive. He saw how badly Jessie was hurting and suffering and he reached out to comfort her, help her and to offer a love so pure, that it could only have come from the heart of a child. We thought this clip, accompanied by David's words, were so very powerful that we wanted to share with you before you watch the full documentary.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/forensics-murder-case-first-look-nicola-walker-exclusive-newsupdate/

In the past 2 years, the net is closing fast on George's killer. Amazing advances in forensics, a very determined DI James Callander and his team, and you, the public and our friends, have all helped to tilt the scales now on the side of justice for the victim. Some of you may be aware that only recently a number of former prisoners have come forward to help, one is still doing so. These are hard, tough guys. In a one to one fight, any one of them probably could easily have taken down George's killer, perhaps even George himself, had the fight been fair. But it wasn't fair. His assailant struck from behind, the cowardly way, using a deadly weapon. And, it was only after George had been severely debilitated, lying on the ground, perhaps slipping in and out of consciousness, that his killer succeeded in taking his life. Please help all of us get this over the line once and for all. Whether he's dead or still alive:-

Private message his name or any info to this page or
email:- [email protected]

The 5 doc looks into the unsolved murder of Aberdeen taxi driver George Murdoch.

15/07/2025

COMING SOON TO CHANNEL 5 ** NEW: FORENSICS: MURDER CASE ** 21st & 22nd JULY AT 9PM

This Murder Case Documentary

For some time now, this documentary has been in production. We are delighted to announce that it is now complete and will be shown on Channel 5 next week. The two-part documentary will air on Mon 21st and Tues 22nd July at 9pm both nights. Apart from refreshing memories as to this cruel and brutal murder, it will also focus on how cutting-edge technology and amazing advances in forensic science have really brought this case to the fore and given it now a better chance than ever, of being solved. However, science is one thing, we still need good detectives to do their job! And, since 2018 we've been fortunate to have had two of the best! DI Gary Winter (now retired) and current DI James Callander. Their skills and innovative thinking have made a world of difference. Ably supported by their team of Detectives. And, we can't forget you, the public. Since setting up the Facebook Appeals Page in 2021, we realise there is still a sincere and huge urgency amongst the citizens of Aberdeen and elsewhere, to get this case solved. Without your continued interest and help, this case may well have floundered? It was such a devastatingly sad and cruel murder.

Of course, all murders are just as sad, but I think it was a few factors which made the attack on George so unbelievably shocking! The use of a lethal weapon such as a cheesewire, then the frenzied attack outside the taxi, before George collapsed on the ground and his attacker strangled him with his hands, leaving him alone to die. To now have a DNA profile of such a dangerous individual and to see police recently embark upon familial DNA testing, means that there is a very real chance that this person will be identified. If still alive, he will finally be brought to justice, but if dead, at least we shall know who he was. This is important to us.

So, the documentary will explore the details of the case, including the police investigation, the family's perspective and the use of forensic science and familial DNA searching, in the continuing hunt for this kindly, cabbie driver's killer. Please give it a watch. Something you see or hear might just trigger a long-forgotten memory, a suspicion that's remained with you all this time, or maybe a truth, which you have been forced, or bullied into keeping to yourself? Recently, a few former prisoners came forward to share names of individuals, they all individually believed to be George's killer. They didn't know each other, the names they gave us were all different, but one thing each of these men had in common. Each one told us that he didn't want to take this information to his grave! They all felt it was way past time to give George's family the closure they deserved. They'd all thought about doing this for long enough. And remember if you contact us, we guarantee your anonymity, if that is your wish?

Please tell us what you know. One of these days, someone will give us the correct name, if science hasn't solved this case beforehand. Please share this post with others. If anyone has posted before on Fubar, perhaps you could try sharing this with them? They have such a huge following.

Reward remains the same at £50,000
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