Detectives say suspicions about Emma Caldwell’s killer were ignored by superiors
Former detectives involved in the initial investigation into the murder of Emma Caldwell have said their suspicions about her killer Iain Packer were ignored by superiors.
Miss Caldwell, 27, was killed in 2005, but Packer was convicted in 2024 of her murder as well as a series of sexual assaults on other women.
Two detectives from Operation Grail (the name given by the police to the investigation) confirmed that they and the vast majority of their colleagues were certain of Packer’s guilt in 2005, with one of them claiming he was “100 per cent sure”.
Instead, a group of Turkish men were arrested in connection with Ms Caldwell’s murder in 2007, but the case against them later collapsed.
These former detectives spoke to a podcast series examining the deaths of a number of women involved in sex work in Glasgow in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Careful Book The podcast examines the deaths of eight women, four of whom were unsolved, during this period.
The podcast takes its name from a magazine that women in sex work use to warn each other about potentially dangerous or suspicious clients.
Former detective Davie Barr accompanied the podcast hosts to Limefield Woods, near Biggar, where Ms Caldwell’s body was found in 2005.
He said he was convinced Packer was the killer and even telephoned the senior investigating officer at the house to tell him so, but was told he would “never be charged”.
Packer had even told Mr Barr that he had brought Ms Caldwell to Limefield Woods, an admission that shocked Mr Barr.
Mr Barr said: “Everyone felt the same. Now I’m talking about the people in the incident room, the sergeants, the investigators, people who have been on the job much longer than I have…
“I’m not kidding, we would talk about this every day in life in that incident room. How could it not be that?”
She continued: “The really sad thing is that in the years when she was free, other people suffered, other girls were sexually assaulted, which is unacceptable.
“Other people should be ashamed of what they’ve done for what they’ve done.”
He continued: “I can’t speak for everyone but I’m sure if you added up every single officer who worked on Operation Grail there was only one person who thought Iain Packer wasn’t responsible and that was the SIO (senior investigating officer) who took instructions from elsewhere.
“You know, we were told that wasn’t it, so we just kept going.
“If I had been in service later, I think I would have questioned things more. It wouldn’t have made any difference.”
Another former detective, Stuart Hall, also said he was certain Packer was the killer, saying on the podcast that he felt “that’s the guy.”
He said: “A colleague of mine coming down the stairs said, ‘What would you think? I said yes. It was him. I’m 100 per cent sure it was him.’
He continued: “I was then taken to the boss’s office, the inspector’s office, where the acting detective inspector told me or instructed me that I should not do any further work on Packer.”
last episode Careful Book It will be available on podcast apps on Monday.
The public inquiry, chaired by Lord Scott KC, will examine the police investigation into the murder.
Responding to comments on the podcast, Police Scotland assistant 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 ones the answers they deserve.”
