Officially it is classed as Fife’s only unsolved murder, but 25 years after the brutal strangling of Sandy Drummond police say they remain hopeful of bringing his killer to justice.
Discovered outside of his cottage in the sleepy hamlet of Boarhills in June 1991, the 33-year-old had been strangled, his body left on a farm track just yards from his front door.
With nobody ever traced in connection with the death and several bizarre events surrounding the paper mill worker’s movements in the days before, many theories have been developed over the years as to why Mr Drummond may have been targeted, and who may have wanted him dead.
However, as the 25th anniversary of the crime approaches, officers responsible for reviewing the murder say they have not given up hope of tracing the killer.
Detective Chief Inspector Maxine Martin told The Courier: “The murder of Sandy Drummond is recorded as an undetected murder on the Scottish Homicide Database.
“As such it is subject to regular and ongoing review by staff to identify any new available investigative opportunities.
“Police Scotland work in close partnership with staff from the Cold Case Unit to regularly review cases to ascertain if there are any new evidential developments, including advances in forensic techniques, which would assist in providing a basis for criminal proceedings.”
Mr Drummond’s body was found by an elderly walker just 200 yards from the cottage that he shared with his brother James.
At first a senior officer at Fife Constabulary believed that the former Black Watch soldier had died of natural causes, though it soon became apparent that foul play had been involved.
Though police are not actively pursuing lines of inquiry almost 25 years on, Chief Inspector Martin added that scientific advances could hold the key to eventually catching Mr Drummond’s killer.
“The passage of time is no barrier to providing answers for the families of murder victims in Scotland,” she added.
“If anyone has any new information that could assist the investigation then please contact police.”Mother went to her grave not knowingThe murder of her son was to haunt Sandy’s mother, Effie Drummond, until her death in 1996.
At the forefront of efforts to have his killer traced, Mrs Drummond campaigned tirelessly for a fatal accident inquiry to be held into her son’s death, which took place in Cupar in September 1992.
However, no explanation for Mr Drummond’s death emerged from the proceedings and, despite her appeals, Mrs Drummond died broken hearted and without ever finding out what happened to her boy.
The last time she saw Sandy was the evening before his murder, as he kissed her goodbye before riding off on his motorcycle.
He had been visiting his parents, who lived just a mile away from his cottage in Boarhills, and had been due to return for dinner the following evening.
In an interview from 1993, she told of how her son’s murder had broken her heart, saying: “My life now is agony. The strain makes me feel a thousand years old. The longing to touch him and see him smile is unbearable.
“Sandy was the best son a mother could have.
“I was afraid for his life when he went to Northern Ireland with the army, but I never imagined that he would be in danger at home.”Character changed in days before deathHe was described as a loner, a man with no enemies and known to be quiet and intelligent.
Living with his brother in a small cottage at Boarhills, near St Andrews, Sandy Drummond was the last person who would fit the profile of a murder victim.
Yet on June 24 1991, the body of the 33-year-old was discovered just yards from his front door.
Though there was no outside physical signs to suggest murder, medical examinations found that Mr Drummond had died of asphyxiation, with extensive damage to his neck muscles indicating strangulation.
As police investigated, it soon emerged that a series of strange events had occurred in Mr Drummond’s life prior to his death.
A former Black Watch soldier, he had worked at the Guardbridge Paper Mill before handing in his notice just days before he was killed.
Having been described by his mother, Effie, as a carefree countryman, Sandy’s personality was said to have changed dramatically before his death, becoming worried and contemplative.
After resigning from his labourer position at the mill, Sandy was captured on CCTV at building societies in St Andrews withdrawing hundreds of pounds of savings, almost all of which was recovered when police searched his home and ruling out robbery as a motive.
The investigation also uncovered rumours of a car, an orange or red Morris Marina, being seen regularly outside his home, and a neighbour spotting Mr Drummond depositing a holdall in the countryside, though both reports failed to generate any leads.
An appeal on the television show Crimewatch also failed to identify any suspects.
With no new leads, the investigation remains dormant and Mr Drummond’s killer at large.
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.