Who was man found dead in burnt-out Mercedes stolen from Oxgangs?

A man who was found dead in a blazing Mercedes stolen last month from an Edinburgh street is feared to have been murdered before it was set alight.

The man’s identity is not yet known due to damage caused by the flames that engulfed the vehicle, which was found ablaze in a Lanarkshire park.

The senior officer in charge of the inquiry confirmed he was treating the discovery as “suspicious” and appealed for Capital residents who may have seen the distinctive black SUV to come forward with information.

The Mercedes GLE 63 was taken from Oxgangs Road on January 24 before being driven around Morningside for several days.

The vehicle was a Mercedes Benz GLE like this one

It was spotted near East Kilbride town centre on Monday morning before being found in flames in nearby Blantyre that evening.

A post-mortem examination has been conducted.

Experts are checking dental records and the Scottish DNA database in an attempt to confirm the dead man’s identity.

Detective Chief Inspector David Scott said: “Inquiries carried out so far indicate the circumstances surrounding the death of the man to be suspicious.

“We are working to identify the deceased who was found within the car.

“Inquiries so far suggest the man is likely to be under 40 years of age. We have significant forensic testing under way and are hopeful we’ll be able to identify him soon.

“The car involved was stolen from the Oxgangs Road area and we have established that it was in the Morningside area for several days.

“However, on the morning of Monday 11 February, the Mercedes was near East Kilbride town centre before being found on fire near Greenhall Park, Blantyre later that evening.”

Det Chief Ins Scott added: “We are working closely with officers in the Edinburgh and East Kilbride areas to try to establish the movements of that car, however, I would ask anyone who has any information on a car of this type being seen in the areas of Morningside, East Kilbride and Blantyre, to come forward urgently.

“I would ask the residents in Morningside to think back to the days after Thursday 24 January, could you provide any information to police that might help? We need to know where that car was. Please come forward. Any small piece of information could be significant.”

Contact police on 101.

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