Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘Should I Marry a Murderer?’ is a three-part British true crime documentary series that chronicles the mysterious disappearance and death of Anthony “Tony” Parsons in Scotland in September 2017. Years of investigation led to nothing but dead ends until Caroline Muirhead provided key pieces to the unsolved murder mystery. Featuring in the docuseries, Caroline recounted how she learned the truth about Tony’s murder and the way she helped the authorities solve the case.
Anthony “Tony” Parsons Was Cycling Across Scotland When He Was Killed
Born around 1954, Anthony “Tony” Parsons led a fulfilling life with his wife, Margaret Parsons, and his children, Mike and Vicky. Apart from being a devoted family man, he was also a former Royal Navy officer with a deep passion for fishing. In his free time, Tony loved teaching his grandchildren to fish. Being an avid sports lover, he was also involved in rugby for many years, playing, coaching, and refereeing. After surviving prostate cancer, Tony decided to give back to the community by cycling for 100 miles from Fort William to his home in the town of Tillicoultry. On September 29, 2017, he took a train to Fort Williams, from where he began his cycling journey along the A82.
Around 6 pm that evening, he was spotted cycling through Glencoe Village before making a short stop at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel in Argyll around 11:30 pm. He then reportedly continued cycling on the A82 towards Tyndrum. Unfortunately, that was the last time he was seen alive. When Tony could not be reached the next night, his family began getting worried about his well-being. On October 1, 2017, his daughter Vicky searched the A82 for him, but there was no sign of him. Thus, the following day, she reported him missing, after which the police and rescue teams launched an extensive search operation.
The authorities searched the entire area where he was last seen with the help of cadaver dogs, an air support unit, volunteers, and local mountain rescue teams. However, despite their best efforts, Tony couldn’t be located anywhere. Years later, on January 12, 2021, the missing cyclist’s remains were found buried in a shallow grave near a farm in Bridge of Orchy, following a two-day detailed search of the remote area. The medical examiner revealed that he suffered “catastrophic” pelvic, rib, and spine fractures, consistent with a collision, but claimed that Tony didn’t die instantly due to those injuries.
Caroline Muirhead Played a Vital Role in Helping the Police Find Anthony “Tony” Parsons’ Remains
A few years after Anthony “Tony” Parsons went missing, Police Scotland unexpectedly received a phone call in late 2020 from a woman named Caroline Muirhead, who claimed to have information about Tony’s disappearance. At the time, she was dating Alexander “Sandy” Gardner McKellar, a farmer who worked in the Auch Estate with his twin brother, Robert McKellar. In November 2020, while they envisioned a future together, Caroline asked Sandy if he wanted to tell her anything about his past that could affect their relationship. He then told her that he had crashed his pickup truck into Tony in 2017 while driving home from the hotel with his brother. Instead of seeking medical assistance, he and his brother buried the man in the Auch Estate.
When Sandy showed him the spot where Tony’s remains were buried, she discreetly dropped a Red Bull can to mark the area. She then informed the authorities about Sandy’s confession and the location of the burial site in a secluded area. Later, Robert told Caroline that Tony was alive after the accident, but the twins fled the scene in a state of panic and returned to the site in another car before burying him in the Auch Estate. As per reports, Sandy and Robert were questioned a couple of times during the initial phases of the investigation, but the police couldn’t connect them to the crime.
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The Perpetrators Were Brought to Justice Years Later
After Caroline’s statements, the police took Sandy and Robert into custody and questioned them about their involvement in the death of Tony. Although Sandy gave “no comment” responses to each question during the interrogation, the police managed to gather sufficient evidence against the brothers, including audio recordings provided by Caroline. Thus, the twins were charged with murder. On July 26, 2023, before the trial was about to begin at the High Court in Glasgow, Scotland, Sandy pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide, and Robert admitted to helping Sandy hide and bury the remains, pleading guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice. About a month later, on August 25, 2023, Sandy was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Robert was sentenced to five years and three months in prison.
His family described him as a loving husband, father, and grandfather in a court statement. They added, “When he said goodbye and set off on his charity cycle from Fort William that Friday, none of us expected it to be the last time we would be able to see or speak to him. Throughout the six years since he went missing and then the subsequent criminal investigation, we had been left with many unanswered questions, and it has been heartbreaking for each and every member of the family being unable to get these answers. As you can imagine, not knowing what has happened to someone and then the devastating news that we were provided has taken its toll on all of us as a family.”
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