Former detectives involved in the initial investigation into the murder of Emma Caldwell have stated their suspicions regarding her killer, Iain Packer, were ignored by superiors.
Ms Caldwell, 27, was tragically killed in 2005, yet it was not until 2024 that Packer was convicted of her murder, along with a string of sexual offences against other women.
Two detectives from Operation Grail – the police name for the investigation – confirmed that they and the vast majority of their colleagues in 2005 were certain of Packer’s guilt, with one asserting he was “100% certain”.
Instead, a group of Turkish men were arrested in connection with Ms Caldwell’s murder in 2007, but the case against them subsequently collapsed.
These former detectives spoke to a podcast series which is examining the deaths of a number of women involved in prostitution around Glasgow in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Beware Book podcast examines the deaths of eight women during the period, four of which remain unsolved.
The podcast takes its name from a journal which was used by women involved in prostitution to warn each other about potentially dangerous or suspicious clients.
Former detective Davie Barr accompanied the podcast hosts to Limefield Woods near Biggar – the site where Ms Caldwell’s body was found in 2005.
He said he was convinced that Packer was the killer, even phoning his senior investigating officer at home to tell him this, but was told “he’ll never be accused”.
Packer had even told Mr Barr that he had brought Ms Caldwell to Limefield Woods, an admission which had shocked Mr Barr.
Mr Barr said: “Everybody felt the same. Now I’m talking about people in the incident room, sergeants, inspectors, people who had been in the job a lot longer than me…
“I kid you not, every day in life in that incident room we would speak about it. How can it not be him?”
He continued: “The really pathetic thing is that other people suffered, other girls were sexually assaulted, in the years that he’s been free, which is unacceptable.
“Other people should be ashamed of their actions, for what they did.”
He continued: “I can’t speak for everybody, but I’m pretty sure if you gathered every single officer who worked in Operation Grail, there was only one person that didn’t think Iain Packer was responsible, and that was the SIO (senior investigating officer), who was getting directions from elsewhere.
“You know, we were told, it’s not him, just got on with it.
“Later on in my service, I think I’d have questioned things a lot more. It wouldn’t have made any difference.”
Another former detective, Stuart Hall, also spoke of his certainty that Packer was the killer – telling the podcast that he felt “this is the guy”.
He said: “There was a colleague coming down the stairs and he says well, what would you think? Yeah, I said. It was him. 100%, I’m certain it’s him.”
He continued: “It wasn’t until later on that I was taken in to the boss’s room, the superintendent’s room, where the acting detective inspector put it to me, or instructed me, I have to do no more work on Packer.”
The latest episode of Beware Book will be available on podcast apps on Monday.
A public inquiry, chaired by Lord Scott KC, is due to examine the police investigation into the murder.
In response to the comments in the podcast, Police Scotland’s deputy chief constable Alan Speirs said: “Emma Caldwell’s family have shown incredible courage and determination following her murder in 2005 and we are absolutely committed to supporting the inquiry and getting her loved ones the answers they deserve.”
