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Renee MacRae murder: Son of missing Inverness woman begs cops to find mum after 43 years of torture

THE son of missing Renee MacRae begged cops to find his mum so he can move on after 43 years of torture.

Gordon MacRae, 50, was eight when Renee vanished with his brother Andrew, three, in 1976.

 Renee hasn't been seen in more than 40 years
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Renee hasn't been seen in more than 40 yearsCredit: Collect

As police search a quarry near Inverness, he pleaded: “I want them to keep going until they find something.”

Gordon revealed he is tormented daily over the mystery disappearance of his mum and little brother.

He said the riddle of what happened to the pair has hung over his life like a black cloud.

But as cops comb a drained quarry for their bodies, he told how he prays they will finally be found so he can say goodbye and move on.


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Gordon, of Inverness, said: “I want them to keep going until they find something. People say you’ve got to carry on with life, but it’s hard.

“It’s haunted me. I think about them practically every day but I’m good at hiding it and putting on a smile and a brave face.

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"But it would settle my mind if I knew what had happened to them.”

Renee had dropped off Gordon, then eight, with his dad Gordon senior when she and Andrew, three, vanished in November 1976.

She was going to meet her lover Bill McDowell but didn’t turn up.

Her burnt out BMW was found 12 miles from Inverness on the A9, with a bloodied rug in the boot.

 Gordon is begging cops to find his mum
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Gordon is begging cops to find his mum

Police have started a fresh search centred on Leanach quarry near the city — draining 13million litres of water in order to sift through hundreds of tonnes of thick mud.

It is the latest chapter in a story that has stumped detectives and investigation teams for decades.

At the time of the disappearance, the MacRaes and their children appeared to have a perfect life.

Gordon snr and Renee, 36, lived in relative luxury and drove top of the range cars thanks to the wealth generated by his construction firm.

But the estranged couple were living apart and Renee had been seeing married Mr MacDowell, an accountant at the building company.

Gordon said he learned his mum and brother had gone soon afterwards. He added: “I don’t remember who first told me but I was only eight or nine.

 Renee's tot Andrew was also never found
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Renee's tot Andrew was also never foundCredit: Collect

"It would have been not long after they went missing. It’s always been a part of my life.”

And he said he has never been able to escape the shadow of what happened. He finished with his last girlfriend 11 years ago and lives alone on a smart housing estate.

Gordon said: “My life would have been different if I still had my mum and brother. I was in a long relationship a few years ago. That helped a wee bit, but not much.

“It distracted my mind and helped me get on with life and normal things. You never shake it off.”

Gordon suffered another blow after the disappearance as it emerged he and Andrew were half-brothers.

 Cops have drained a quarry in the hunt
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Cops have drained a quarry in the huntCredit: PA:Press Association

A pal of Renee revealed MacDowell was the younger boy’s real father. In 2006, Gordon jnr asked cops to carry out DNA tests, but he never heard back.

He said: “It wasn’t until I was eight or nine that I found out.

“I always thought he was my real brother. I wanted to find out for sure. I don’t know what happened with that. It was disappointing I never heard back.”

Gordon was raised by his dad, now 82, who later married his secretary. The pair speak roughly every fortnight, on the phone or when Gordon snr visits the industrial supplies warehouse where he works.

He is very close to Renee’s sister, Morag Govans, 80, who over the years has been the face of police campaigns for information about the case.

He has chosen to stay out of the limelight and this is thought to be only his second interview.

But he talks about Renee and Andrew with Morag and they recently took a trip to the quarry.

Van driver Gordon said: “My auntie wasn’t sure where it was. We only drove past — we didn’t go in.”

Cops refuse to say why they have decided to drain the pit.

Det Insp Brian Geddes says it is the “standout” location and a line of inquiry that wasn’t fully pursued in the 1970s as it was too dangerous for divers.

Gordon said: “They must have fresh leads. It’s not going to be cheap draining it. They might not be there but something else might be. There could be clues.”

Forensic teams are searching through tonnes of sludge from the pit. Experts believe Renee and Andrew’s bodies could be perfectly preserved if they are in the mud.

Gordon said finding them would help him and Morag. He added: “I want to put it to rest so we all know. It would mean a lot to me.”

Last month we told how Mr MacDowell told our reporter to “buzz off” when we visited him at his cottage near Penrith, Cumbria.

stuart.patterson@the-sun.co.uk

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