Sheila Anderson

Status:

Open

Offense Location:

Edinburgh, Scotland

Summary:

Sheila Anderson, a 27-year-old mother and sex worker in Edinburgh, was murdered on April 7, 1983, in one of Scotland's most notorious unsolved murders. She was found run over, possibly repeatedly, on the promenade at Gypsy Brae after she had sex with a client there. In 2008, police found a DNA profile of a suspected killer, but the crime remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

At around 11:25 pm on April 7, 1983, two police officers spotted Anderson outside Lindean House on Commercial Street in Leith, conversing with a man. It was around this time that she departed with the client that would kill her. From there, the pair appear to have travelled northwest to Gypsy Brae, a place where clients sometimes drove sex workers for privacy. A CB radio enthusiast parked nearby, who was there because Gypsy Brae's open shoreline made it a popular spot for CB users due to reception across the water, noticed a car driving along the promenade where vehicles did not normally go. When he went to investigate, he discovered Sheila's body. Her watch was found near her body and had stopped at about 11:54 p.m., often cited as a possible time of death. Emergency services rushed to the scene and she was taken by ambulance to the nearby Western General Hospital but medics were unable to save her life. A post-mortem confirmed that her death had resulted from multiple injuries consistent with being crushed, probably by a heavy motor vehicle.

Additional Details:

Sheila Anderson was born around 1955 or 1956 in Scotland's Borders region and grew up in a close-knit family. As a teenager, she harbored ambitions of pursuing a career as a nurse. Sheila came from a close family and wanted to be a nurse, but moved to Edinburgh while the capital was in the grip of a heroin epidemic. The mother-of-two was caught in the city's drug scene and became a sex worker. At the time of their mother's murder, her children were aged only two and seven. There were various sightings of Sheila during the day in West Granton and Leith, with the final confirmed sighting in Commercial Street around 11:30pm by two police officers. Her handbag was found near a car park at Longniddry Bents, East Lothian, on Sunday, April 10, 1983. There was red paint on her from the car, and her handbag was later found in an East Lothian car park, her shoes and underwear elsewhere. Despite an extensive investigation at the time the person responsible for Sheila's murder was not traced. Then 26 years later the case was reopened after forensic experts built a full DNA profile of a person suspected of being the killer. In 2009, BBC Crimewatch aired a reconstruction of Sheila's last movements as part of a nationwide appeal which saw several calls made to police. None of the leads came to fruition. Anderson was known to have been confrontational with clients and for having stood in front of their cars if they refused to pay, leading investigators to conclude that she may have been run over after such a disagreement. Forensics showed that the killer's car was painted red and would have been heavily damaged by the act, with police still appealing for anyone who remembers their partner suspiciously coming home with a damaged car around 1983 to come forward. Appeals have also been made for information from anyone who was given a sexually transmitted disease by their partner around this time since it was found that there was a 50% chance the killer would have had to seek treatment for one after the murder. Anderson's missing bag was found dumped at a car park by the A1 road going south from Edinburgh into England, suggesting that her killer may have travelled back to England after the murder. Former investigators have stated: "We have a DNA profile but we have never found him." In a statement made at the time of the 2009 Crimewatch appeal, her family said: "Sheila's death affected all our lives, and still does to this day. We will remember Sheila as a woman with a gentle nature who was loving and caring. She touched the hearts of all who knew her and was much loved by us all." The case has been noted for the long-term impact it had nationally in terms of changing police attitudes and procedures in regard to sex workers, and the case continues to receive publicity.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 28, 2026