The World's End Murders were committed in October 1977 and, so named, as the victims were last seen alive leaving the World's End pub in Edinburgh's Old Town. Helen Scott, 17, and Christine Eadie, 17, were seen socialising with two men, however neither of those men have since presented themselves to police or been traced, leading to speculation that at least one of them committed the murders.
The bodies of Scott and her friend Eadie, both 17, were found the next day six miles apart in East Lothian. Both women had been beaten, raped and strangled.[1] No attempt had been made to conceal the bodies as both were found in open fields.
The trial of suspect Angus Sinclair took place in August 2007, 30 years after the killings took place, but collapsed due to insufficient evidence.[2]
The resolution of the case provoked public outrage. Even the Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini commented in Parliament that she was 'disappointed' with the result. An effect was that the Scottish Law Commission was required to review the law with regard to Character Evidence: particularly Previous Convictions and Similar Fact Evidence. Discussion papers are due on different topics in 2009, 2010, 2011.