THE brother of a businessman murdered 18 years ago today called on Police Scotland to reopen their investigation into his mystery death.
Alex Blue was attacked in the driveway of his luxury home in the West End of Glasgow in June, 2002 and died aged 41 two days later in hospital from horrific head injuries.
At the time Alex ran the Taxi Centre in nearby Hyndland which supplied cars and equipment to the private hire taxi trade.
From day one police drew a blank in a bid to solve the case due in part to a lack of witnesses and the victim’s complicated financial affairs.
In recent years his murder has been treated as a cold case, subject to occasional reviews.
Alex’s older brother Billy Blue thinks three men were involved in killing Alex and has given police the name of a fourth man he claims ordered the hit.
He believes there is enough evidence to charge the fourth person with murder.
Billy, 63, said:”This should be a live ongoing investigation not a cold case
“Cold case to me means cold storage.
“Far from winding this inquiry down the police should have been stepping it up with the evidence they now have.
“It’s time to take this case out of cold storage and bring those responsible to justice.”
Alex’s battered body was found around 12.20am on June 25 outside his home in Dundonald Road in the upmarket Downhill area of Glasgow.
Over the last two decades Billy, 62, and mum Kathy, 87, have made numerous public appeals for information.
His murder also featured on Crimewatch and a documentary series presented by Taggart star Alex Norton called Unsolved.
Billy, who looks after his elderly mother at the family home in Robroyston, added: “Alex was very fit, he was a trained kick boxer, who could look after himself and would not have been easily overpowered.
“I believe my brother’s violent death was financially motivated.
“This was a well thought out, well organised murder.
“Alex would have known his killers.
“Only someone he trusted would have taken him off guard.
“I don’t think the man who ordered the hit was there.
“He would have been sitting in a late night bar or restaurant in another part of the city making sure he was seen.”
Detective Inspector Hannah Edward said: "Police Scotland never considers cases closed and the passage of time is no barrier to the investigation of unresolved homicide cases.
"Homicide Governance and Review actively keeps all unsolved and unresolved homicides under review and meets regularly with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in an attempt to review these cases and pursue resolution.
"Police Scotland along with our partners in the Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services, continue to relentlessly pursue advances in technology and investigative approaches which help bring those responsible for serious and violent crimes to justice and provide answers for families of the victims of such crimes. Scientific and forensic developments, combined with information from the public and determined investigative work can yield new opportunities in such cases.
"If anyone has any new information that could assist the investigation into the murder of Alexander Blue please contact Police via the non-emergency number 101, alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
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