The sister of Renee MacRae has told how their family is still haunted by the “terror” the mother of two and her young son must have felt before being murdered.
Morag Govans said she could “never comprehend” why William MacDowell killed the pair in “such a calculated and callous manner”.
And after 80-year-old MacDowell was convicted of their murder at the High Court in Inverness, she made a plea to him to reveal the whereabouts of their bodies.
Police investigations have have so far failed to recover the remains of either Mrs MacRae or her three-year-old son, Andrew.
The passage of time has not eased the anguish we feel, we have never been able to lay Renee and Andrew to rest or properly mourn their loss. Not knowing where their remains lie only compounds the pain— Morag Govans, Renee MacRae's sister
Ms Govans said if MacDowell has “a shred of decency in his body, he will now reveal where they both lie”.
Speaking after his conviction, she said: “Almost 46 years on, the pain of losing Renee and Andrew in such a cruel and brutal fashion never fades.
“Today there is finally justice for them. It’s a day we feared would never come.
“They were both so precious to us and a day never passes without them both in our thoughts.”
She continued: “Renee was a compassionate and caring mother. Both Andrew and his elder brother, Gordon, were her life. She adored them and was so proud of her boys.
“Andrew would be 48 today, he was never given the chance to build his own life.
“The passage of time has not eased the anguish we feel, we have never been able to lay Renee and Andrew to rest or properly mourn their loss.
“Not knowing where their remains lie only compounds the pain.
“Thinking of the terror they both must have felt before they died continues to haunt us.
“We will never comprehend why their lives had to be taken in such a calculated and callous manner by William MacDowell.
“If he has a shred of decency in his body, he will now reveal where they both lie.”
