Police have been offered new information about where torture killer Colin Coats buried tragic Lynda Spence.
They have been approached by an investigator who claims to have identified a second potential site after visiting the brute in prison. Officers have yet to act on the tip-off over concerns about who is orchestrating the unauthorised probe, it is understood.
It comes just months after Police Scotland ended a search for Lynda’s remains in Dunoon, Argyll.
Sources say a jailed gangland figure is behind the bid to locate the financial adviser because he believes it will boost his parole chances. The convicted drug dealer is serving a sentence for organised crime offences in HMP Glenochil, Clackmannanshire.
It is understood his associates have hired the investigator to continue inquiries.
A source said: “Coats said he was confused over where he and Wade put Lynda. The area he previously picked out is close to the new site.”
Coats and his co-accused Philip Wade, both serving life sentences for the 27-year-old’s kidnap and murder, co-operated with officers for the first time since they were jailed in 2013.
However the dig - which started in March and ended in July - drew a blank. Police Scotland were made aware of the latest information earlier this month.
However officers have yet to speak to the investigator.
The source added: “Coats has been shown more photographs of the fields including satellite images. He is confident this new area he has looked at is where Lynda is.
“There is pressure being put on Police Scotland but they’re taking a bit of time before they act. The parties behind this new information want permission to dig the area themselves if police won’t.”
Lynda was snatched her off a street in Glasgow in 2011 by Coats, 52, and Wade, also 52. Coats was told he’d serve a minimum of 33 years in prison before being considered for release.
Wade was locked up for at least 30 years before being eligible for parole at the High Court in Glasgow following an 11-week trial. Coats took her to the attic of a flat in West Kilbride, Ayrshire, where she was tortured.
Wade bought the equipment used in her murder and Coats used Lynda’s mobile and email accounts to pretend to her family and friends she was alive and well. Her remains have never been found but Police have promised to continue searching if they receive new information.
A source close to Lynda’s parents Jim and Patricia said: “Her mum and dad don’t care where the info comes from. They just want Lynda found.”
Detective Superintendent Suzanne Chow said: “Extensive enquiries were carried out at the site since March 2022, involving Police Scotland officers, specialist search teams and forensic scientists from across the United Kingdom. These were completed in July and, unfortunately, we did not recover Lynda’s remains or any new evidence.
“This was a lengthy and complex operation due to the remote location and I would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts. The investigation to find Lynda’s remains continues and I would ask anyone with information to please come forward and speak to officers.”
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