Police have drawn a blank after a three-month search of a remote area believed to contain the remains of the murdered Scots financial adviser.
Forensic teams have been scouring a woodland area near Dunoon, Argyll since March in the hopes of finding the remains of Lynda Spence. The 27-year-old financial adviser was tortured and killed in 2011 after being kidnapped from a street in Broomhill, Glasgow.
Colin Coats and Philip Wade are believed to have tied Lynda to a chair at a property in West Kilbride, Ayrshire cutting off her thumb and beating her with an iron during the 13-day ordeal.
The two men are believed to have targeted her after she conned Coats out of £85,000 in a sham land deal. Lynda's remains have never been discovered.
Forensic and specialist officers have been searching began searching the area in March after receiving a tip-off. However, they have now been told to stand down after no remains were discovered.
Detective Superintendent Suzanne Chow said: “Extensive enquiries have been carried out at this site since March 2022, involving Police Scotland officers, specialist search teams and forensic scientists from across the United Kingdom. The final searches have now been completed and, unfortunately, we have not recovered Lynda’s remains or any new evidence.
“This was a lengthy and complex operation due to the remote location and I would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts. Lynda’s family have been informed of this development and ask that their privacy is respected during this difficult time.“
Coats was sentenced to 33 years for the killing and wade received 30. Accomplices Paul Smith and David Parker got 11 years in jail for assaulting and holding her captive in a West Kilbride flat.
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