Edinburgh crime: The cold case of David McMenigall, murdered in his home in Edinburgh in 1966
On a cold February morning almost 60 years ago, David McMenigall’s housekeeper entered his Edinburgh home to find his body. He had been murdered, and it has never been solved.
1966
On the morning of February 25, 1966, 55-year-old David McMenigall's body was found at his rented bungalow in Glasgow Road in Corstorphine. On the night that he was killed, he dined alone at a Frederick Street restaurant, L’Aperitif, an iconic restaurant in 1950s and ‘60s Edinburgh for writers and artists.
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Hide AdHe was spotted heading home around 9.30 pm that night, and police appealed for help tracing a black Hillman car, made between 1947 and 1949, which was seen in the area on the night of the murder, but were unsuccessful. At the time of his death, detectives confirmed that they were investigating a break in at Mr McMenigall’s home two months earlier on Christmas Day.
An 18-year-old, John Wills, was arrested and charged with the crime, and was later questioned about the murder, but with no breakthrough made. A team of 30 officers searched a nearby caravan site, playing fields and farmland, using a tractor to plough up ground as part of the search after his death.
Vintage Cars
Mr McMenigall was a vintage car enthusiast, and had recently purchased a new Mark 10 Jaguar saloon, which was parked outside his house when police arrived the morning after his murder.
At the time, police believed that an object had been removed from the house, a small model of a horse. It was later revealed by the Daily Record, that actually it was specifically the emblem from a Ford Mustang which he had previously owned. It was also revealed that police believed this emblem could be the murder weapon.
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Hide AdMr McMenigall was found with serious head injuries, and it is believed he was hit over the head with the Ford Mustang emblem. The Daily Record also reported that a source had described Mr McMenigall, who was chairman and managing director of Central Refrigeration Services, as a “well-known in the city as a man-about-town.
“He loved to party and was quite wealthy. His second marriage had broken up about four years before his death and he was often seen dining in the city centre and sometimes in the company of young women. He had a son, Martin, who lived quite close to his father in Clermiston. Officers spoke to dozens of people who knew him to build up a picture of his life, which would hopefully lead them to his killer.
Police Scotland
Police Scotland do not consider a case closed until it's solved, so anybody with any information can still come forward. To provide officers with information, you can call 101, or phone Crimestoppers Scotand on 0800 555111, where you can remain anonymous.