Arlene body search will go on

Mother and sister Isabelle Thompson and Carol Gillies

Relatives of Arlene Fraser said they hope to grieve in private after the murder conviction that will see her husband jailed for at least 25 years.

The family has to face the continuing distress over the fact that the mother-of-two's body has never been found.

But the police have vowed to confront Fraser in prison over what has been done to dispose of her body.

Jim Stephen is planning a prison visit

Elgin businessman Nat Fraser collapsed in court as he was found guilty of murdering his wife, who went missing almost five years ago.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Judge Lord Mackay describe the 44-year-old as "evil" before sentencing him to life imprisonment.

Grampian Police Detective Superintendent Jim Stephen has promised to continue pursuing the full facts of the case.

"It's my duty now to find out from Nat Fraser exactly where he disposed of Arlene's body," he said.

"I will certainly be visiting him in prison to ask him that question, not only for the sake of Grampian Police but certainly for the family, who have had to wait four-and-a-half years to find out exactly what happened to their daughter.

"I do have some hope that remorse will now finally settle in and he will come to his senses and tell us the rest."

Difficult to believe

Mr Stephen also said he would be quizzing Fraser on the question of whether a hitman may have been involved.

But he added: "I am quite happy that the person responsible for Arlene Fraser's murder, Nat, stood trial at Edinburgh High Court and has been found guilty of murder.

"I think the judge in the High Court today summed it up - he is evil - for someone to kill their wife but to dispose of the body in the manner which he has, it's difficult to believe a human being could do such a thing."

The case was the largest investigation Grampian Police has ever carried out but the absence of a body and any forensic evidence always hampered the inquiry.