Emma Caldwell murder case: Detective warns killer may be linked to more unsolved deaths
A retired Detective who worked on the Emma Caldwell murder case has said he believes her killer was responsible for other deaths that have never been investigated and that far more about his offending remains to be uncovered.Stuart Hall, a former detective constable who was part of the original inquiry into Caldwell’s death in 2005, made the comments on a podcast series examining the deaths of several women involved in prostitution in and around Glasgow during the 1990s and early 2000s. He said he does not believe Emma Caldwell was Iain Packer’s first victim and that he expects more information about Packer’s crimes to surface in the coming years.Hall said: “Personally I don’t think it was his first murder. I think there’s going to be more found out in the future. There’s a pattern of behaviour here. Although Emma was the only one we know of at this time who was murdered I see no reason for there not to be more.”Packer was convicted of Caldwell’s murder in 2024 nearly two decades after she was killed. He was also found guilty of a series of sexual offences against other women. The court heard that his violence towards women was not isolated but formed a consistent pattern of behaviour throughout his life. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 36 years. Caldwell’s body had been found in Limefield Woods in South Lanarkshire.The case had a deeply troubled history before Packer was finally brought to justice. Police had spoken to Packer in the weeks immediately following Caldwell’s death in 2005 but did not pursue him as a suspect. Instead a group of Turkish men were charged in connection with her death in 2007. That prosecution collapsed entirely.Hall and other former detectives have separately told the podcast that they had been confident of Packer’s guilt at an early stage but said their suspicions were dismissed by senior officers. One former detective said he was told directly that Packer would never be charged.The podcast series is called Beware Book, named after a journal that women involved in prostitution in Glasgow used to warn each other about dangerous or suspicious clients. It examines the deaths of eight women from the period with four of those cases still unsolved.A public inquiry chaired by Lord Scott KC is now examining how police handled the original investigation into Caldwell’s murder. Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said the force is fully committed to supporting the inquiry and getting answers for Caldwell’s family who have shown extraordinary determination since her death.
