The haunting mystery surrounding the brutal murder of Aberdeen taxi driver George Murdoch in 1983, infamously known as the ‘Cheese Wire Murder,’ remains unsolved. As the 40th anniversary of the tragic event approaches on Friday, efforts by the Murdoch family continue to try and find answers to what happened that night
George Murdoch, a beloved Aberdeen local born and raised in the city, was described by his nephew as a “kind and gentle” man, known for his passion for keeping pigeons and boating. Murdoch’s life took a turn when he was made redundant from his factory job in the late 1970s. To support his family, he took up work as a taxi driver, a job he didn’t particularly enjoy, especially during night shifts, which concerned his wife, Jessie. Despite her worries, Murdoch reassured her that he would never resist a robber; he would willingly surrender the money.
The fateful night of September 29, 1983, marked the gruesome turning point in Murdoch’s life. Picking up a passenger on Aberdeen’s Queen’s Road, he was driven to Pitfodels Station Road on the city’s outskirts. There, he became the victim of a brutal attack, with his assailant wielding a cheese wire. Two teenagers who witnessed the gruesome act alerted the police, but help arrived too late. The killer fled after stealing Murdoch’s fare money and wallet, leaving behind a community shaken and a nation in shock.
Despite a massive manhunt involving visits to 10,000 homes and over 8,000 statements taken, the murderer has never been apprehended. The assailant, described as a man between 20 and 30 years old, was dressed in dark clothing that might have been bloodstained, standing at 5 feet 7 inches, clean-shaven, thin, and with short dark hair. The use of a cheese wire indicated a potentially premeditated crime, although the motive for the murder, whether robbery or another reason, remains unclear.
Throughout the years, pleas for information and appeals have continued. In 2022, Murdoch’s family and a local newspaper joined forces to offer a £20,000 reward for any information leading to the killer’s capture. The case gained renewed attention when it featured on Crimewatch Live, resulting in numerous leads. Murdoch’s nephew, speaking on behalf of the family, expressed the enduring need for closure, stating, “Closure to a family is like gold dust, something that you crave for, that you need. Even after 38 years, a family cares. We’ve always cared. We always will.”
In September 2022, authorities revealed a new lead. They sought to trace a man seen in Wilson’s Sports Bar in Aberdeen in 2015, wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt. Described as small, stocky, in his 60s or 70s, and local to Aberdeen, this individual is believed to possess information crucial to the investigation.
Anybody with information should call 101 alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The ‘Cheese Wire Murder’ remains one of Aberdeen and Scotland’s most notorious unsolved crimes, but with each appeal for information, the hope for answers and justice endures.
