What Happened To Annie? Police defend investigation
Written by News on 19/12/2019
Police Scotland have defended their investigation into the 2005 death in Ayrshire of Annie Borjesson, amid claims in a Sky News documentary that forensic crime scene procedures weren’t followed.
Fourteen years after the body of the 30-year-old Swedish national was found on Prestwick Beach, the death – in unexplained circumstances – has been brought into focus by the six-part Sky News’ StoryCast podcast – What Happened To Annie?
To this day, the authorities maintain the Swedish musician died of suicide. But her family suspect foul play, against the backdrop of startling revelations their daughter may have become embroiled in a situation involving the CIA and Rendition flights through Prestwick Airport.
On 15 December, police responded to claims made in the documentary that their investigation was mishandled.
In a statement to Sky News StoryCast, Detective Superintendent Paul Livingstone from the Specialist Crime Division in Police Scotland, said the case was fully investigated at the time and subject to review.
He added: “With any investigation where the death has occurred outdoors or where the circumstances are as of yet unknown, the scene would be treated as a potential crime scene, allowing for all crime scene protocols to be put in place in order to obtain the maximum evidence available.”
However, the veracity of the original police investigation has been challenged by the testimony of Home Office pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton who reviewed the original autopsy reports.
“We seem to have a bit of a halfway house whereby the hands are bagged but the other procedures that would be taken with a forensic recovery haven’t been undertaken,” he said.
“If we are talking about a body being forensically recovered it would be typical to bag the head, the hands and the feet and to put the body into a body bag so you have continuity of evidence.”
Despite circumstances surrounding Annie’s death still being largely unexplained, the Procurator Fiscal never granted the Swedish national a Fatal Accident Inquiry, which would take the form of an inquest in England.
In the documentary it is strongly suggested the Crown Office misrepresented the statement of one key witness and overlooked another witness. Scottish authorities have continually refused to release photographs of Annie’s post-mortem for analysis.
Since the release of the documentary, the Swedish government have agreed to facilitate a request to access all documents related to the death.
What Happened To Annie? is available to download now.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
(c) Sky News 2019: What Happened To Annie? Police defend investigation
