Northern Constabulary has confirmed that the investigation into the death of Liam Aitchison, age 16, is now a murder investigation. This follows raids by officers on properties in this area and the result of a post-mortem being received.
Detective Chief Inspector Kenny Anderson confirmed thwy were now treating Liam’s death as murder. He added: “The response from the community in Stornoway to appeals for information has been very positive and I would appeal to anyone who may have information in relation to this crime to contact the the incident room at Stornoway Police Station.
“In particular, we wish to trace witnesses who may have seen three people wearing hooded-type tops, who were seen walking in the Steinish village area shortly after midnight on Tuesday 22nd into the early hours of Wednesday 23rd November 2011.”
From speaking to certain people, it may be that some local commentators may have been less than accurate in their assessments so far. That could persuade younger islanders to feel their own accounts would be so different as to be disbelieved. This is a time for absolute honesty about recent incidents. Tell the police all that you know.
Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 01851 702222.
People anywhere, and especially in pleasant and stable communities, find it hard to separate exactly what they may have seen or heard from what their thoughts immediately led them to perceive on something unusual happening.
Whatever has happened, tragedy has been the outcome, and a life of only sixteen years lost, but it would be an even greater blow to any society if anyone felt unable to honestly report anything they had heard or seen that may have relevance. If any reader of this knows anyone who may feel deterred from coming forward please encourage them, for most things are rarely exactly as seen at first sight.
It is very sad and I hope the police can clear it up quickly. He did not deserve this.
As a footnote, many of us who face the public in difficult situations are not happy that the attack against ambulance staff by this lad is being described by some reporters as a minor brush with the law. That sends out a really bad message.
This is not the time to discuss our feelings in detail but I would ask the media people to think more about what they are writing.
Johnson, is this the appropriate time to bring this up?