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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Peter Davidson

Bones and parts of child's pushchair found at quarry in search for missing mum and son

Cops draining a flooded Highland quarry in the search for a missing mum and son have found bones and parts of a pushchair.

Renee MacRae, 36, was last seen when she left her home in Inverness with son Andrew, three, on November 12, 1976 to spend a weekend in Perth with married lover, Bill McDowell.

Detectives from Police Scotland have been searching Leanach Quarry which was the focus of the inquiry in 1977, months after the pair vanished.

So far more than 13 million litres of water have been pumped from the large hole.

Renee and her son Andrew went missing on November 12, 1976 (Collect)

A few hours after Renee and Andrew disappeared, her BMW was found ablaze in a lay-by at Dalmagarry, 11 miles south of Inverness. Blood stains were discovered in the boot.

After removing water The Times has reported objects recovered from the quarry include wheels from a pushchair and bones.

It's believed the metal parts are found to be very similar to the make of buggy used by Renee.

The bones have been examined and only animal parts have been identified so far, but investigators are still checking for human remains.

Bill McDowell was Andrew MacRae's father (Daily Record)

Several cars have also been removed from the quarry near Culloden.

Police believe Renee and Andrew were murdered, but no bodies have ever been found.

It later emerged that Bill, who worked for Renee’s millionaire building boss husband Gordon, was the boy’s father.

Both Bill and Gordon gave police alibis.

Police have been draining Leanach Quarry near Inverness in their search for Renee and Andrew MacRae (Police)

Police have never given up the hunt for Renee and Andrew

The investigation into their disappearance has been subject to ongoing reviews, which included a full cold case review in 2004, resulting in a month-long excavation of Dalmagarry Quarry, which was also examined again in October last year.

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