Police have launched a reinvestigation into the murder of a Lockerbie woman who disappeared nearly 40 years ago.
And they said yesterday they are “confident” they will finally be able to resolve the case of Marion Hodge, who was reported missing in 1984 then subsequently declared legally dead in 1992. Her body has never been found.
Detectives from the Unresolved Homicide Investigation Team are appealing for information as they visit the local area, speak to original witnesses and encourage new witnesses to contact them.
Detective Inspector Stephen McGrath, senior investigating officer, said of the new probe: “I am confident we’ll definitely get there with the cooperation of the public.
“Witness evidence is the key and we are appealing to the community to come forward who perhaps didn’t before because they didn’t want to through a sense of loyalty or felt their evidence was insignificant.
“I would ask people in these situations to let us be the judge. It could uncover the nugget of information that we need.
“I am confident we will uncover evidence to help the family get the closure they deserve.”
Mum-of-two Marion, who was 34 at the time, vanished after being dropped off in the Whitesands area of Dumfries at 7.30am on July 6 1984.
Her family said they never believed “she just walked away and left her children or parents”.
In 2016, Marion’s brother Robert Gibson said: “I’ve no doubt my sister was murdered on the day she disappeared.”
Marion’s husband, Bill, told police he drove her to Dumfries bus station. The night before, Bill had accused her of having an affair with a close friend.
He told detectives he dropped Marion at the Whitesands at 8am but no one remembered seeing her.
She was said to have taken £1,000 in cash and an hour after Bill reportedly dropped her off, £100 was withdrawn from her cashline account. Police later revealed her cheque book and bank card were never used again.
Initially treating her disappearance as a missing person’s case, officers were baffled as to why Marion made no attempt to contact her parents, siblings or children.
She was officially declared dead at the Court of Session, in Edinburgh, in 1993 after an application by her husband. His initial attempt was delayed by her parents.
In 2006, police announced they were treating Marion’s disappearance as murder and detained a man for questioning, but he was later released without charge.
Detective Inspector McGrath added: “We understand how devastating it is for loved ones to never know what happened.
“We are trying to get answers for Marion’s family and friends and we’re asking the public for help.
“We’re appealing to anyone who remembers anything unusual leading up to Marion’s disappearance, any sightings in the Whitesands area or any other relevant information that might help our inquiry.”
Marion’s sister Frances is also urging anyone with information to contact police.
She said: “Marion did well at school and liked sports and singing. She was voted Gala Queen at Lockerbie when she was 15. She could have gone on to further education but got engaged at 18, then married and became a mother at 19.
“She took to motherhood, running a house and was devoted to her children. She started working in the local Clydesdale Bank again after her children were at school and was at the bank during a notorious armed robbery in 1984.
“When we were told that she had gone away, we believed this was uncharacteristic of Marion as she wouldn’t have left in that manner. She would never have turned her back on her children.
“The day Marion disappeared was her son’s 15th birthday. She thought too much of her children and would never have run out on them like that.
Anyone with information can contact the inquiry team on 0141 305 4551 or Police Scotland on 101.
