THE disappearance of a young Scottish mum almost three decades ago remains one of the country’s most haunting mysteries.
In 1998, Arlene Fraser vanished from her home and her body has never been discovered.
Arlene Fraser’s body has never been foundCredit: Handout
What happened to Arlene Fraser?
was a 33-year-old mother of two living in Elgin, Moray, , when she disappeared on April 28, 1998.
That morning, she waved her young children off to school from the door of the family bungalow as normal.
When they returned home that afternoon, the house was empty and Arlene was nowhere to be found, so the police were called and a missing persons inquiry launched.
Five weeks before Arlene vanished, her was charged with her attempted murder after strangling her so severely a pathologist had to be called in to examine her injuries.
Arlene sought refuge from her husband’s abuse on two separate occasions – in 1990 and 1992 – and had been quietly working with solicitors on a divorce.
Six months after Arlene’s disappearance, the senior detective on the case, DCI Peter Simpson, publicly declared it was now a investigation, telling reporters he firmly believed something criminal had taken place.
Arlene’s wedding, engagement and eternity rings were found in the family bathroom on May 7, 1998, nine days after she disappeared.
At Nat Fraser’s first trial, prosecutors argued the rings had been removed and later returned to the bathroom.
Police then learned that Nat’s close associate, a farmer named Hector Dick, had made a suspicious purchase of a beige Ford Fiesta in Elgin the night before Arlene disappeared.
Dick later admitted in court that he bought and then destroyed the car at Nat’s request.
CCTV footage from Nat’s time in prison for assaulting Arlene showed him in what appeared to be deep conversation with a friend named Glenn Lucas.
The footage was handed to a lip reader, who assessed the pair were discussing the disposal of a body.
In January 2003, Nat Fraser was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life with a minimum of 25 years.
However, after years of appeals, the UK Supreme Court quashed his conviction in 2011 due to undisclosed evidence.
He was retried in 2012 at the High Court in Edinburgh and found guilty for a second time, this time receiving a life sentence with a minimum 17-year term.
Nat Fraser has never revealed what happened to Arlene’s body. Her remains have never been recovered.
Nat Fraser will be eligible for parole in 2028Credit: PA:Press Association
In September 2025, the Scottish Parliament passed Suzanne’s Law, which means the Parole Board must now consider whether a convicted killer has refused to reveal the location of their victim’s remains when deciding on release.
The legislation was the result of years of campaigning by Arlene’s sister Carol Gillies, alongside the family of Edinburgh bookkeeper Suzanne Pilley, who was also killed by a partner who hid her body.
Fraser is due to be eligible for parole in October 2028 at the earliest.
How to watch Murder Case: The Hunt for Arlene Fraser’s Killer
award-winning true crime documentary series returns with a gripping two-part look at the Arlene Fraser case.
Episode one aired on BBC Scotland at 9pm on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
The second episode will be broadcast on the same channel at 9pm on Tuesday, March 3.
The first part of the documentary will also be shown on at 9pm on Thursday, February 26.
And the second instalment will follow on the same channel at the same time the following week (March 5).
Both episodes of Murder Case: The Hunt for Arlene Fraser’s Killer are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, where they dropped on Tuesday, February 24.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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