FOURTEEN-year-old schoolgirl Caroline Glachan’s body was discovered on the banks of the River Leven in 1996.
BBC documentary Murder Trial: Girl in the River delves into the horrific case, which went unsolved for a quarter of a century.
Caroline Glachan had just waved goodbye to her friends when she was bludgeoned to death and dumped in the River Leven on 25 August, 1996.
A drug addict found her beaten body in the water the next day. Her sneakers were left on the riverbank in Renton, West Dunbartonshire.
The schoolgirl’s death became one of Scotland’s most high-profile unsolved cases.
‘Waiting for a breakthrough’
Caroline’s mum Margaret McKeich previously said: “I am just waiting for that knock on the door telling me there has been a breakthrough.
“I imagine that scenario all the time and think about what it would be like.
“The cold case team are looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes and starting from the beginning so there is a lot for them to get through.”
In 2016, the case was reopened on the 21st anniversary of her death, with police issuing a fresh appeal for information.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Grainger expressed gratitude to the public for their help in the investigation and for sharing crucial information about Caroline’s death.
In November 2021 Robert O’Brien, Andrew Kelly and Donna Brand were charged with Caroline’s murder.
Her mum Margaret said cops “couldn’t have given me a better Christmas”.
Long-awaited trial
In November 2023, the long-awaited trial took place at Glasgow’s High Court.
Robert O’Brien, O’Brien, Kelly and Brand finally faced murder charges 27 years after Caroline’s tragic death.
Although they will eventually be released from prison, it offers no solace. The loss of Caroline condemns me to a lifetime of anguish, living without my daughter.
Margaret McKeich
The trio were found to have repeatedly punched, kicked and thrown bricks or similar items at the teenager, causing blunt force trauma to her head and body, before pushing her into the river.
Sadly, a fourth suspect passed away before authorities could arrest her.
In December 2023, O’Brien, 46, and Kelly, 45, were found guilty of killing O’Brien’s 14-year-old girlfriend following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
They were both given life sentences, with O’Brien to serve a at least 22 years and Kelly at least 18 years.
Donna Marie Brand, 45, was also sentenced to life behind bars with a minimum of 17 years.
Scum of the earth
Speaking to The Scottish Sun before sentencing, Carole’s mum said: “They are scum of the earth.
“They’ve just been out for themselves with a total disrespect for life, I have total contempt.
“I’m hoping that the judge gives them a very lengthy sentence because that’s what they deserve. I hope they rot in prison.
“I would hope that they never ever get out. They’ve had 27 years of freedom.
“They will serve a sentence and then get out. It will never bring Caroline back.
“But I serve a life sentence. I have to live my life without a daughter.”
Who is Robert O’Brien?
Robert O’Brien was 18 years old at the time of the schoolgirl’s murder.
He was Caroline’s boyfriend and had a history of violence towards Caroline.
Her mother disapproved of the age difference and said that he had previously “lifted his hands to her”.
He was described as the main perpetrator in the murder, using “extreme violence” on the teenager.
Addressing O’Brien during sentencing, Judge Lord Braid said: “Nobody who heard the evidence of the pathologist Dr Marjorie Turner could fail to be sickened by her descriptions of the injuries caused by you.”
Who is Andrew Kelly?
Andrew Kelly was 16 years old when the murder took place.
During sentencing the judge said that while Kelly played a lesser role in the murder, he inflicted “murderous violence” on the teen.
He said: “Caroline was a lover of life, but due to both of you Caroline has been deprived of the opportunity of living that life, becoming an adult, having children, fulfilling the potential she had.
“You have taken a daughter from a loving mother. Mrs McKeich has spoken of the pain that Caroline’s death has caused, the void her death has left that will never be filled.
“She has been deprived of seeing the woman that Caroline would have become. No sentence that I pass could possibly make up for what she has lost.”
Murder Trial: Girl in the River will air on BBC Two at 9 pm on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
