Emma Caldwell unlikely to have been her killer’s first victim, says ex-detective
Iain Packer, who was convicted of Emma Caldwell’s murder nearly two decades after her death, likely committed other murders, a former detective involved in the initial investigation has suggested.
Retired detective officer Stuart Hall believes “more will emerge in the future” about Packer’s crime.
Miss Caldwell, 27, was killed in 2005, but Packer was finally brought to justice in 2024, found guilty of the murder and a string of sexual offenses against other women.
Police had questioned Packer in the weeks following Ms Caldwell’s death, but a group of Turkish men were falsely accused in 2007 and the case against them later collapsed.
Mr. Hall shared his views. Be Careful Book Podcast investigating the deaths of several women involved in prostitution in Glasgow in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The series highlights eight such deaths, four of which remain unsolved. The podcast takes its name from a magazine that women in prostitution once used to warn each other of potentially dangerous or suspicious clients.
Mr Hall was asked whether Packer’s crimes continued for years after Ms Caldwell’s murder and whether the full extent of his crimes had ever come to light.
He said: “No – short answer. I think there’s still a lot to learn about Iain Packer.”
“Personally, I don’t think this is his first murder.
“I think more will come out in the future. I’d love to be involved in something related to that, but I think there’s a lot more to it than that.”
“There’s a pattern of behavior here. As they discovered during the trial, which is now common knowledge, he did the same thing to a number of girls.
“Although the only person we know of who was killed at the moment was Emma. I see no reason why there wouldn’t be more.”
Mr Hall said Packer’s history of violence against women was revealed in court.
He continued: “It just seems to be who he is, how he deals with life and with women.”
Packer was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 36 years after being found guilty of Ms Caldwell’s murder.
His body was found in a remote location in Limefield Woods in South Lanarkshire.
Other former detectives had previously expressed their certainty of Packer’s guilt on the podcast.
But they said their suspicions were dismissed by superiors and one of them was told Packer “will never be charged”.
The public inquiry, chaired by Lord Scott KC, will examine the police investigation into the murder.
Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: “Emma Caldwell’s family showed incredible courage and determination following the murder in 2005 and we are absolutely determined to support the investigation and get their loved one the answers they deserve.”
