Suzanne Pilley

Status:

Open

Missing From:

Edinburgh, Scotland

Summary:

Suzanne Pilley was a 38-year-old bookkeeper from Edinburgh, Scotland, who disappeared on May 4, 2010, on her way to work. Her former lover and colleague, David Gilroy, was convicted of her murder on March 15, 2012, in a controversial case without a body. Her remains have never been found.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On the morning of May 4, 2010, Suzanne Pilley left her home in Whitson Road, Edinburgh, to travel to work at Infrastructure Managers Ltd on Thistle Street. As part of her routine, she stopped at the Sainsbury's branch on St Andrew Square at approximately 08:51. She was captured on CCTV leaving the store and again at 08:54 on North St David Street, about to turn into Thistle Street toward her office. This was the last confirmed public sighting of her. She failed to arrive at work that morning. Her colleagues became concerned and contacted her parents at approximately 12:45pm. Her parents discovered she was not at her home and found that her money and passport remained there. They reported her missing to Lothian and Borders Police at 8pm that evening.

Additional Details:

On May 11, 2010, police launched a high-profile public appeal with CCTV footage displayed in central Edinburgh. The investigation quickly shifted to a murder inquiry after evidence suggested foul play. On May 18, 2010, her employers issued a statement confirming her disappearance was out of character, as she was described as extremely dependable and had never previously taken unexplained sick days or arrived late. Police expanded the investigation to a 400-square-mile area of Argyll and Bute, stretching from Tyndrum to Inveraray and the Argyll Forest, focusing on a silver vehicle seen driving on remote roads around the time of her disappearance. David Gilroy, her former lover and a colleague at Infrastructure Managers Ltd, was arrested on June 23, 2010, and charged with her murder. The couple had a turbulent on-and-off relationship after meeting at a staff night out. Pilley had recently attempted to end the affair after beginning to see someone else. Evidence showed Gilroy had sent Pilley more than 400 text messages in the month before her disappearance, all of which stopped when she went missing. At the time of her death, Gilroy was 47 years old, married with two children. The trial began on February 20, 2012, at the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh before Lord Bracadale, with a jury of eight men and seven women. The trial lasted 24 days and was based entirely on circumstantial evidence. Prosecution evidence included scratches on Gilroy's hands that he attempted to conceal with makeup, markings on his chest, damage to his car consistent with off-road driving, and a voicemail in which he pleaded with Pilley to meet him. Specially trained cadaver dogs detected the presence of a deceased body in both the basement of their office building and in the boot of Gilroy's car. Mobile phone and CCTV data showed that on May 5, 2010, Gilroy drove 130 miles to Lochgilphead in Argyll, claiming it was for a work appointment, but the journey took two hours longer than typical. Officers identified gaps of several hours in his journey between Lochgilphead and Inveraray where he is believed to have concealed Pilley's body. He was found guilty by majority verdict on March 15, 2012, and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years before parole eligibility. Judge Lord Bracadale expressed hope that Gilroy would one day disclose the location of Pilley's remains. Gilroy has maintained his innocence and has not disclosed the location of her body. His case received a review by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, with his family claiming flaws in the investigation, but the conviction has been upheld. Extensive searches of the Rest and Be Thankful viewpoint, Glen Croe Forest, and Argyll Forest Park have been conducted over the years but have yielded no remains. Her father, Rob Pilley, passed away in February 2019 without knowing what happened to his daughter. The family, including her mother Sylvia and sister Gail Fairgrieve, have continued to appeal for information about Pilley's remains to achieve closure. Police Scotland has renewed its commitment to finding her body multiple times, including on the 10-year anniversary in 2020 and subsequent appeals through BBC's Crimewatch.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 30, 2026