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| Police investigating 1957 disappearance of schoolgirl start search of grave | Police investigating 1957 disappearance of schoolgirl start search of grave |
| (3 months later) | |
| Forensic experts have begun reopening a grave in North Lanarkshire in an attempt to solve the mystery of the disappearance of a schoolgirl more than 50 years ago. | Forensic experts have begun reopening a grave in North Lanarkshire in an attempt to solve the mystery of the disappearance of a schoolgirl more than 50 years ago. |
| Detectives believe that the body of Moira Anderson, 11, who vanished on a shopping trip during a severe snowstorm in 1957, could have been secretly buried in Old Monkland cemetery in Coatbridge by her suspected murderer. | Detectives believe that the body of Moira Anderson, 11, who vanished on a shopping trip during a severe snowstorm in 1957, could have been secretly buried in Old Monkland cemetery in Coatbridge by her suspected murderer. |
| Her disappearance has been blamed on Alexander Gartshore, a bus driver and convicted child rapist, who hinted strongly to his daughter Sandra Brown before his death in 2006 that he was guilty of her abduction and murder. | Her disappearance has been blamed on Alexander Gartshore, a bus driver and convicted child rapist, who hinted strongly to his daughter Sandra Brown before his death in 2006 that he was guilty of her abduction and murder. |
| The exhumation is being overseen by Professor Sue Black, one of the UK's leading forensic anthropologists and head of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at Dundee University. | The exhumation is being overseen by Professor Sue Black, one of the UK's leading forensic anthropologists and head of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at Dundee University. |
| Black has played a central role in investigating mass graves in Kosovo and Iraq and the murders by Fred and Rosemary West. | Black has played a central role in investigating mass graves in Kosovo and Iraq and the murders by Fred and Rosemary West. |
| Anderson's disappearance, after she boarded a bus to a nearby branch of the Co-op, is one of Scotland's most notorious unsolved murder cases. Over the years other alleged suspects have been named, but the mystery remains. | Anderson's disappearance, after she boarded a bus to a nearby branch of the Co-op, is one of Scotland's most notorious unsolved murder cases. Over the years other alleged suspects have been named, but the mystery remains. |
| Brown, who has written a book about the case, Where There is Evil, which was made into a play, and received an OBE for services to the victims of child sex abuse, said she was convinced her father was to blame. | Brown, who has written a book about the case, Where There is Evil, which was made into a play, and received an OBE for services to the victims of child sex abuse, said she was convinced her father was to blame. |
| "I originally became involved in the investigation because I had a conversation with my father in 1992 just after his mother's death and he linked himself there to Moira for the first time ever," Brown told the BBC. | "I originally became involved in the investigation because I had a conversation with my father in 1992 just after his mother's death and he linked himself there to Moira for the first time ever," Brown told the BBC. |
| "He said to me that his own father blamed him for Moira and basically this was said in such a way that he probably thought at this time that I wouldn't remember Moira, because I was only eight when she disappeared. | "He said to me that his own father blamed him for Moira and basically this was said in such a way that he probably thought at this time that I wouldn't remember Moira, because I was only eight when she disappeared. |
| "It was really a chilling conversation I had with him and it brought up a lot of echoes and worries for me and eventually it led to me going to the police." | "It was really a chilling conversation I had with him and it brought up a lot of echoes and worries for me and eventually it led to me going to the police." |
| After a long campaign by Brown and Anderson's sister, Janet Hart, the lord advocate, Frank Mulholland, ordered a full cold case review last year. | After a long campaign by Brown and Anderson's sister, Janet Hart, the lord advocate, Frank Mulholland, ordered a full cold case review last year. |
| Brown and Hart believe Gartshore disposed of Anderson's body in the open grave of his dead acquaintance Sinclair Upton at the Upton family's burial plot, a site thought to contain up to eight bodies. | Brown and Hart believe Gartshore disposed of Anderson's body in the open grave of his dead acquaintance Sinclair Upton at the Upton family's burial plot, a site thought to contain up to eight bodies. |
| After ground scans suggested another body could be inside the family grave, a sheriff gave permission in December for the exhumation to take place after the Upton family gave its agreement. | After ground scans suggested another body could be inside the family grave, a sheriff gave permission in December for the exhumation to take place after the Upton family gave its agreement. |
| The Strathclyde police forensics team has started by pumping out the waterlogged site, in a process expected to take several days. | The Strathclyde police forensics team has started by pumping out the waterlogged site, in a process expected to take several days. |
| Chief Inspector Kenny MacLeod, who is leading the operation, said the sodden ground presented "significant challenges" for investigators. | Chief Inspector Kenny MacLeod, who is leading the operation, said the sodden ground presented "significant challenges" for investigators. |
| "We have uncovered the burial plot. A team from the University of Dundee will be examining the burial plot," he said. | "We have uncovered the burial plot. A team from the University of Dundee will be examining the burial plot," he said. |
| He added: "There may be no necessity to exhume all eight human remains but that does remain a possibility. | He added: "There may be no necessity to exhume all eight human remains but that does remain a possibility. |
| "The site does present significant problems and challenges, not only in terms of ground conditions but also record-keeping, as you can imagine, going back to 1908, it may not detail every person in the burial plot." | "The site does present significant problems and challenges, not only in terms of ground conditions but also record-keeping, as you can imagine, going back to 1908, it may not detail every person in the burial plot." |
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