The Disappearance of Arlene Fraser

The Silent Evidence's Podcast

Arlene Fraser was a 33 year old woman from Elgin, a small town in the north of Scotland. She had finally managed to break free from an abusive relationship, and was looking forward to starting a new life with her 2 young children, aged 5 and 10. She had enrolled in a business studies course at the local college and had re-connected with old friends that she had lost touch with over the years. Life finally seemed to be looking up for the young mother.

That all changed though when Arlene’s friend popped round on the morning of Tuesday 28th April 1998, to find Arlene missing from her home. When she hadn’t returned by the time the kids got home from school alarm bells were ringing.

What would follow would be the largest missing persons enquiry in Scottish police history and only the 4th time in Scottish judicial history that a murder conviction was achieved in the absence of a body.

But many questions remain. Was Arlene murdered by her jealous estranged husband? Was a hitman from down south involved? Could a perjured local farmer hold the key to the whereabouts of Arlene’e remains? Or indeed is Arlene even dead at all?

This is the case of the disappearance of Arlene Fraser.

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