Lynda Spence

A woman leaves her mum’s birthday gathering in Glasgow, says she will be back shortly, and is never seen again. What follows is the Linda Spence case: a rare kind of Scottish true crime story where the facts are horrific, the evidence is painstaking, and the most important piece of closure is still missing.

We walk through Linda’s life in full, from her upbeat early years in Paisley and her drive to build a career, to the property and mortgage ventures that grew bigger and riskier. We unpack the Lockburn Gate development in Maryhill, the deposits that came in, and the fraud investigation that began to close around her. Then we meet Colin Coates, an investor with a violent reputation, and track how unpaid money, escalating threats and fear created the conditions for something far worse than financial collapse. We also examine the reports that Linda was being handled as a covert intelligence source, and why that detail still raises hard questions about safeguarding and information sharing.

From the moment Linda travels to meet Coates, the narrative tightens: the journey to West Kilbride, Flat 4 at 114 Meadow Foot Road, and an attic space used as a prison for 13 days. We explain the strange phone call to her parents, the intimidation that delayed early action, and the central mystery of what happened to Linda’s body. Finally, we show how detectives assembled a case without remains, combining witness testimony, forensics, CCTV purchase trails, mobile phone data and automatic number plate recognition to reach convictions at the High Court in Glasgow.

If you care about how investigations really work, and why silence can be as powerful as violence, this one will stay with you. Subscribe to A Dark City, share the episode with someone who loves serious true crime, and leave us a review. What do you think is the most telling piece of evidence in the Linda Spence investigation?

Transcript

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Welcome To A Dark City

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Welcome to A Dark City, the podcast that delves into the shadowy underbell of Glasgow, a city with a storied past and a reputation for resilience. Here we uncover the chilling true stories of serious crimes that have left their mark on the city's history. From notorious gangland wars to unsolved mysteries, join us as we explore the darker side of Glasgow and the people whose lives were forever changed by its crimes.

A Coastal Town And An Attic

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Positioned along the Firth of Clyde, it looks across the water toward the Isle of Arran and the distinctive peak of Goat Fell. Known for its coastal scenery and strong sense of community, it became the first town in Scotland to organize an annual Scarecrow Festival, designed to promote local pride and community involvement. Approximately half a mile from the village center stands 114 Meadow Foot Road. The building was originally a large house that had later been divided into separate flats. One of those properties, Flat 4, occupied the first floor and included access to an attic space above. It was inside that attic that 27-year-old Linda Spence spent the final 13 days of her life. Over the course of those 13 days, Linda was held captive and subjected to prolonged and extreme violence. Investigators later concluded that she had been repeatedly tortured before eventually being killed. Her body was never recovered. To understand how Linda came to be in that attic, it is necessary to examine the events that led up to her disappearance and the increasingly dangerous circumstances that surrounded her life in the years before her death.

Linda Spence Before The Fall

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Linda Spence was born on the 8th of September 1983 to James and Patricia Spence. She grew up in the Pennalee area of Paisley, approximately seven and a half miles west of Glasgow. According to family members, Linda enjoyed a happy upbringing. She attended Ralston Primary School before moving on to Paisley Grammar School. Those who knew her described her as energetic, ambitious, and sociable. Her mother later recalled that she had never been a troublesome teenager and that she was generally kind, positive, and eager to help others. While still at school, Linda worked part-time in local chip shops. She reportedly held two jobs at one stage, and often encouraged other young people to seek employment opportunities as well. Family members remembered her as someone who enjoyed being busy and who was constantly looking for ways to improve her circumstances. In addition to her schoolwork and part-time employment, Linda joined the RAF Air Cadets. She became heavily involved and appeared to enjoy the structure and opportunities it provided. At the age of 17, she attended an RAF recruitment event with her mother and seriously considered pursuing a military career. Although recruiters were reportedly impressed by her enthusiasm, Linda ultimately chose a different path. After leaving school, she entered the financial services sector. Initially, she worked in banking call centers where she gained experience dealing with financial products and customer accounts. Over the next several years, she continued working in similar roles and became increasingly interested in building a business of her own. In 2007, Linda launched a financial services company that specialized in helping individuals with poor credit histories obtain mortgages. The business struggled. Within a year, financial difficulties had become severe. In December 2008, Linda was declared bankrupt, with debts reported to be in the region of £40,000. For many people, bankruptcy would have represented a significant setback. For Linda, however, it appeared to be only a temporary obstacle. After her debts were discharged, she quickly returned to business. In December 2009, using money provided by her parents from an inheritance linked to the sale of her grandmother's bungalow, Linda launched a new company called Fraser Properties. The company operated from premises on Great Western Road in Glasgow and focused on property and mortgage-related ventures. Initially, the business appeared successful. Linda projected the image of a young entrepreneur whose fortunes were rapidly improving. She acquired two flats in an affluent area of Glasgow, drove a Mercedes convertible, and frequently spent money on luxury items and expensive nights out. Friends described her as generous. She often paid for meals, nights out, and entertainment. She employed her former school friend Amanda Robertson and appeared keen to share her apparent success with those around her. She also maintained a close relationship with her parents. According to Patricia Spence, Linda telephoned regularly and made a point of spending time with her family. She frequently took her mother shopping, out for meals, and occasionally to the theater. Family members described the relationship between mother and daughter as exceptionally close. From the outside, Linda appeared to be thriving. Behind the scenes, however, the situation was very different.

Property Deals Turn To Fraud

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The type of financial success Linda wanted was not coming from arranging mortgages alone. As time passed, she became involved in increasingly ambitious property ventures. One of the most significant was a proposed development known as Lockburn Gate in the Maryhill area of Glasgow. Linda promoted the development aggressively and attracted interest from potential buyers and investors. Members of Glasgow's Chinese community were among those who became involved. According to reports, around 30 individuals paid deposits toward properties they believed would eventually be built as part of the development. In total, Linda reportedly collected approximately £175,000 in deposits. The project, however, never materialized. As months passed and no development appeared, investors became concerned. Many attempted to obtain updates from Linda. Others demanded the return of their money. Neither reassurance nor refunds were forthcoming. Eventually, complaints were made to Strathclyde police, and an investigation into allegations of fraud began. At around the same time, Linda became involved with a man whose role in the story would later prove pivotal. His name was Colin Coates. Coates was 41 years old and had previously worked in information technology. During his career in London's financial services industry, he had accumulated considerable wealth and, at one stage, was reportedly a millionaire. By the time he met Linda, however, his circumstances had changed dramatically. Years of excessive alcohol consumption, cocaine use, and violent behavior had contributed to the collapse of both his finances and his personal life. He had previous convictions for violence and a reputation for having an explosive temper. Despite these problems, Coates still possessed money and was interested in investment opportunities. Through a mutual acquaintance named Tony Kelly, he was introduced to Linda. The two entered into a business arrangement in which Coates invested approximately 85,000 pounds. Linda allegedly promised him a substantial return. The return never arrived. As time passed, Coates became increasingly suspicious. He discovered that the investment opportunity he had been told about either did not exist or was not producing the promised profits. When he demanded answers, Linda provided new explanations. She claimed that another property venture would generate significant returns. When that explanation failed, she described a separate land deal near Stansted Airport. When that failed to satisfy him, she claimed she was due to receive millions of pounds in Danish government bonds from yet another transaction. None of these deals materialized. Eventually, Linda arranged for counterfeit Danish bonds to be produced and handed some of them to Coates as evidence that the investment existed. It was a desperate attempt to maintain the deception. Coates quickly realized the documents were fake. By this stage, he believed that Linda had taken his money and spent it. According to investigators, this realization marked a significant turning point. Coates was no longer simply a dissatisfied investor seeking repayment. He had become a man consumed by anger and resentment. Unfortunately for Linda, Coates was not the only person demanding money. Property developer John Glenn had also become involved in one of her ventures. He had provided approximately £180,000 as part of what later appeared to be another non-existent investment opportunity. That money was gone as well. Like Coates, Glenn wanted answers and repayment. Instead, he received excuses. As pressure mounted, reports later suggested that Glenn sent Linda threatening messages demanding his money back. The number of people seeking repayment was increasing. Police investigations were ongoing. Business associates were becoming hostile, and Linda continued attempting to secure new opportunities rather than resolving the growing problems surrounding her. At

Coates And The Debt Spiral

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the same time, another aspect of her life was attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies. Years earlier, while still a teenager, Linda had become acquainted with an Albanian asylum seeker named Zokal Zefraj. Accounts differ regarding the exact nature of their relationship, but evidence later emerged suggesting that Linda had become involved in helping individuals obtain immigration advantages and fraudulent documentation. Some reports alleged that she assisted people from Eastern Europe in acquiring false identities and fraudulent passports. The full extent of those activities remains disputed, but they were sufficient to attract the attention of law enforcement. As a result, agencies including the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency and the Serious Organized Crime Agency became interested in information Linda might be able to provide. Shortly before her disappearance, approval had reportedly been given for her to act as a covert intelligence source. Whether anyone involved in criminal activity became aware of this cooperation has never been established. By early 2011, Linda's life had become increasingly unstable. Her business was failing, her finances were deteriorating. Police investigations were intensifying. Multiple individuals believed she owed them substantial amounts of money, and some of those individuals had reputations for violence. The pressure continued to grow. Friends and family later recalled noticing changes in her behavior. Although she remained in contact with those close to her, she appeared increasingly stressed and distracted. Her former employee, Amanda Robertson, had already left the company amid customer complaints and concerns about unpaid wages. Even after leaving, Amanda retained access to some of Linda's communications. According to later reports, she saw references to deals involving contacts in New York and individuals connected to Arab and Albanian networks. Amanda reportedly described the correspondence as sounding suspicious and concerning. Whatever business opportunities Linda believed would solve her problems, they were not arriving quickly enough. By the beginning of 2011, the glamorous lifestyle she had projected was beginning to collapse. Her business dissolved, she pawned jewelry, she applied for benefits, and she reportedly told people that unless a major deal came through soon, she would be in serious trouble. She was correct. The trouble she faced would soon become far worse than financial ruin. Within weeks, Linda Spence would disappear, and the events that followed would become one of the most disturbing murder investigations in modern Scottish criminal history. By

Birthday Visit Becomes A Trap

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April 2011, the various problems surrounding Linda Spence had converged into a single dangerous reality. She was under investigation for fraud. Several investors believed she had taken large sums of their money under false pretenses. Former business associates were becoming increasingly aggressive in their demands for repayment. And at least one of those associates, Colin Coates, had become convinced that Linda had deliberately deceived him. The final confirmed sighting of Linda by her family occurred on the evening of April 13, 2011. At approximately 6 p.m., she visited her parents' home in Castlebank Gardens, Glasgow, to celebrate her mother's birthday. She brought flowers and spent a short time with her family. According to Patricia Spence, however, Linda appeared unusually tense and distracted. When asked about plans for the evening, Linda explained that she needed to leave but would return shortly. She never came back. It would be the last time her parents saw her. What Linda did for the remainder of that evening remains unclear. However, investigators later established that the following day she traveled to a property in the Broomhill area of Glasgow. The property belonged to Colin Coates. Why Linda agreed to meet him has never been fully established. It is possible she believed she could negotiate with him, reassure him, or convince him to continue waiting for repayment. Throughout her business career, she had repeatedly persuaded investors to remain patient while she sought new opportunities. If that was her intention, it failed. When Linda arrived at the property on April 14, 2011, she encountered not only Coates, but also Philip Wade. Wade was 40 years old and had a reputation for violence. He had been involved in drug dealing and debt collection and was known as an enforcer within criminal circles. He also reportedly had his own grievance against Linda, believing that she had obtained money from members of his family through dishonest means. According to the prosecution's case, Linda was immediately overpowered. She was restrained and prevented from leaving. From there, she was transported approximately 30 miles southwest to West Kilbride in North Ayrshire.

Thirteen Days In The Attic

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Her destination was Flat 4, 114 Meadow Foot Road. The property belonged to David Parker, a 36-year-old drug user who had not been living there because of flooding issues. Earlier that month, Parker had been approached by another man, Paul Smith, who asked whether the flat could be used for a short period of time. Parker agreed. Shortly afterwards, Coates, Wade, Smith, and Parker visited the property together. During the visit, Parker was instructed to remove personal photographs and anything else that could identify him as the occupant. Although he later admitted that this request concerned him, he complied without asking further questions. The reason soon became clear. When Linda arrived at the property on April 14th, she was taken directly into the attic space. According to evidence later heard in court, she was tied to an office chair using restraints around her arms and waist. Tape was placed over her mouth, and additional tape was wrapped around her glasses to prevent her from seeing her surroundings. The attic was small, isolated, and difficult to access. It would become Linda's prison. Parker later told investigators that after Coates and Wade left the property, he climbed into the attic and saw Linda for the first time. He described being shocked by what he witnessed. Despite this reaction, neither he nor Smith contacted the police. Both men would later claim that they were terrified of Coates and Wade and feared serious violence if they interfered. For Linda, however, there was no possibility of escape. Over the following days, Coates and Wade returned repeatedly. According to witness testimony, they visited the property on a daily basis. Their purpose was not merely to hold Linda captive, they intended to punish her. The violence escalated rapidly. Evidence later presented during the trial indicated that Linda was subjected to systematic torture. Her captors demanded information about money, investments, and business dealings. They wanted to know where funds had gone and how they might recover them. When answers failed to satisfy them, the abuse continued. Her toes were crushed using garden shears. Her kneecaps were struck with a golf club. Her hands were burned with a steam iron. She suffered injuries to her face and body. Witnesses later described seeing bruising, swelling, and wounds to both hands. Linda remained tied to the chair for prolonged periods. She was not allowed access to a toilet and was forced to relieve herself where she sat. Each day followed a similar pattern. Coates and Wade would arrive at the flat. Violence would occur in the attic. After they left, Parker and Smith would occasionally provide Linda with food and drink. Neither man attempted to help her escape, neither contacted emergency services, neither alerted anyone to what was happening. During the trial, both men claimed they were too frightened to intervene. As the days passed, Linda's condition deteriorated. Parker later recalled conversations he had with her when Coates and Wade were absent. On one occasion, she reportedly expressed regret about the situation she had become involved in. On another, she asked a simple question. Parker was unable to answer. Outside the attic, Linda's disappearance had not yet triggered a major police response. Her parents were concerned, but they had not immediately reported her missing. This hesitation was influenced by events that occurred shortly after her abduction. According to later testimony, Colin Coates and a business associate named Tony Kelly visited Linda's parents after she disappeared. During the visit, Coates claimed that Linda owed him money and warned them against involving the police. The warning had a significant impact. Linda's parents were uncertain about what was happening and fearful of making matters worse. As a result, valuable time passed without a formal missing person investigation. Meanwhile, Linda remained captive. On April 20th, 2011, six days after her abduction, something unusual happened. She was permitted to telephone her parents. The reason for the call has never been fully explained. Investigators later suggested that Coates may have believed his earlier threats would become less effective over time, and that allowing Linda to make contact could delay police involvement. When the call came through, Patricia Spence was overcome with emotion. Linda's father took the phone. He asked where she was. Linda replied that she was in London. Her answers were vague. She refused to provide an exact location and offered no explanation for her disappearance. Although she sounded relatively calm, her father felt deeply uneasy about the conversation. Before ending the call, Linda told her parents she would speak to them again soon. She never did. The call has remained one of the most puzzling aspects of the case. Why Linda did not openly ask for help remains unknown. She may have been acting under direct threats. She may have feared that any attempt to alert her parents would place them in danger. She may have believed that cooperating with her captors offered the best chance of survival. After nearly a week of captivity and torture, her physical and mental condition was undoubtedly severely compromised. Whatever her reasoning, the opportunity passed. Later that same day, the violence escalated further. According to witness testimony, Coates arrived at the flat alone. This was unusual. Normally he and Wade traveled together. Witnesses described him as being extremely angry. At some stage during the visit, he reportedly announced his intention to take her thumb. He then climbed into the attic. Moments later, Linda was heard pleading with him. Witnesses recalled hearing her cry out, No, Colin! Afterwards, Coates returned downstairs. He allegedly indicated that he had severed Linda's thumb and placed it in his pocket. When Parker later entered the attic, he observed tape wrapped around Linda's hand. Where her thumb should have been, there was nothing. The injury was catastrophic. Yet even this act of mutilation was not carried out solely as punishment. Coates had another purpose. During her captivity, Linda had told her captors about property developer John Glenn. She claimed that some of the money Coates believed had been stolen from him had been passed to Glenn. Whether this was true remains unclear. What is known is that Coates acted Upon the information. Carrying Linda's severed thumb in a plastic bag, he visited Glenn and demanded money. According to evidence later presented in court, Coates displayed the thumb as proof of what he was capable of doing. The tactic worked. Terrified, Glenn handed over money. Despite obtaining at least some of what he wanted, Coates did not release Linda. The torture continued. For another week she remained imprisoned in the attic. Each day brought further violence and uncertainty. No rescue arrived, no one intervened. And as the days passed, any realistic hope of survival diminished.

Murder Without A Body

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On April 27, 2011, 13 days after Linda had been abducted, Coates and Wade informed Parker and Smith that they could leave the property. Both men later admitted that the instruction worried them. They suspected it was a sign that something terrible was about to happen. Even then, neither contacted the authorities. The following day, according to the prosecution's case, Linda's ordeal came to an end. Investigators believe that on April 28, 2011, Colin Coates killed Linda inside the flat. Evidence later suggested she was taken into the bathroom before being murdered. After her death, her body was dismembered. Her head was removed using a hacksaw. Her remains were then placed into the boot of the silver Vauxhall Astra she had been driving before her abduction. What happened next remains one of the central mysteries of the case. Neither Linda's body nor the vehicle used to transport it has ever provided investigators with definitive answers. Coates and Wade subsequently traveled away from West Kilbride. Mobile phone evidence later traced parts of their journey. At one point, they visited a caravan belonging to an associate named Lee Winyard. According to testimony later heard in court, Wade asked whether he could borrow a boat because they had something they wanted to dispose of. The request was refused. Where they went afterwards remains unknown. To this day, Linda Spence's remains have never been recovered. But while her body had disappeared, the actions of those responsible would soon begin to attract the attention of investigators. And the evidence they believed they had destroyed would ultimately lead police directly to them. Following Linda Spence's murder, those involved immediately began attempting to erase all evidence of what had taken place at Flat 4, 114 Meadow Foot Road. The cleanup operation was extensive. According to evidence later presented in court, Colin Coates, Philip Wade, David Parker, and Paul Smith spent weeks removing traces of Linda's presence from the property. Furniture was removed, carpets disappeared, bedding, crockery, and household items were discarded. Surfaces were scrubbed with bleach, and sections of flooring were ripped up and replaced. The office chair to which Linda had reportedly been tied was removed from the flat and never recovered. Many of the discarded items were later believed to have been burned. To anyone entering the property afterward, it appeared to be a recently refurbished flat with no obvious connection to a violent crime. The men responsible believed they had successfully concealed what had happened. At that stage, there appeared to be little reason for them to think otherwise. Weeks had passed since Linda disappeared. No major police investigation had begun. No searches were underway, and no one had publicly connected her disappearance to the property in West Kilbride. The first significant concerns regarding Linda's whereabouts emerged not because she was missing, but because of the fraud allegations already being investigated. On May 13, 2011, approximately one month after Linda was last seen alive, investigators looking into financial complaints visited her parents' home in an attempt to locate her. Instead, they discovered that nobody had seen her for weeks. Linda's parents explained that she had last visited them on the 13th of April, and that they had spoken to her by telephone on the 20th of April. However, they did not reveal everything they knew. Still frightened by Colin Coates's earlier threats, they failed to disclose his visit to their home and his warning not to contact the police. As a result, authorities did not immediately treat the matter as a potential homicide. There remained a possibility that Linda had chosen to disappear. Given the allegations she was facing, her mounting debts, and the number of people seeking repayment, investigators could not initially rule out voluntary disappearance. Missing person posters were circulated, attempts were made to locate her vehicle, but a full-scale inquiry had not yet begun. Meanwhile, those responsible for Linda's death continued believing they had escaped detection. That

Phone In A Bin Breakthrough

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confidence began to unravel on June 2nd, 2011. On that day, a woman discovered a mobile phone inside a bin at a cafe in Kilburney, Ayrshire. The phone belonged to Linda Spence. When the woman examined the contacts, she found one listed as Mum and placed a call. Patricia Spence answered. The discovery of the phone immediately raised new questions. If Linda had deliberately disappeared, why had her mobile phone been discarded in a rubbish bin? The phone was handed to police. Soon afterwards, Linda's parents finally revealed the information they had previously withheld. They described Coates's involvement with Linda. They explained the visit he had made to their home, and they disclosed the threats that had persuaded them not to contact police earlier. The information changed the direction of the investigation. Attention quickly focused on Colin Coates and those associated with him. On June 14, 2011, Linda's parents made a public appeal for information regarding their daughter's disappearance. Patricia Spence was visibly distressed as she asked anyone with information to come forward. The appeal generated publicity, but produced few immediate answers. Police launched an extensive proof-of-life inquiry. Bank accounts were examined, phone records were reviewed, travel movements were checked, friends, family members, and business associates were interviewed. Nothing suggested Linda was still alive. The absence of any trace of activity became increasingly significant. Investigators began to suspect that they were no longer searching for a missing woman, but investigating a murder, or even so, proving that theory remained difficult. Coates denied any involvement. Potential witnesses appeared frightened. Many people seemed reluctant to discuss him. Investigators repeatedly encountered silence. The first major breakthrough came through technology. Automatic number plate recognition cameras had recorded movements of Linda's higher vehicle after her disappearance. Analysis showed that the car had traveled through locations connected to Colin Coates and Philip Wade. Mobile phone records placed both men in the same areas at the same times. The overlap was difficult to dismiss. Coates had claimed he had not seen Linda after she disappeared. The digital evidence suggested otherwise, yet investigators still lacked a witness willing to provide a detailed account of what had happened. That witness eventually emerged in the form of John Glenn. Months earlier, Glenn had remained silent after being confronted by Coates and allegedly shown Linda's severed thumb. Fear had prevented him from approaching police. That changed in August 2011. According to Glenn, Coates visited him again and made further threats. This time, Glenn decided he could no longer remain silent. On August 16, 2011, he contacted police and disclosed everything he knew. For investigators, the information was a turning point. The allegation that Coates had carried Linda's severed thumb and used it to extort money provided a chilling insight into what may have occurred during her captivity. Just as importantly, Glenn's statement encouraged other frightened witnesses to begin cooperating. Gradually, the wall of silence surrounding the case started to collapse. Additional witnesses came forward. A friend of Philip Wade told police that Wade had spoken about helping dispose of a woman's body. Others described suspicious behavior following Linda's disappearance. Most significantly, David Parker and Paul Smith eventually admitted their involvement. They told investigators about Flat 4, 114 Meadowfoot Road. They described Linda's captivity. They explained the daily visits made by Coates and Wade, and they identified the property where the torture had taken place. Armed with this information, police moved quickly. On October 28, 2011, approximately six months after Linda's murder, officers entered the flat in West Kilbride. The property had been extensively refurbished. At first glance, there appeared to be little evidence remaining. Forensic specialists examined every room. Eventually, they discovered a tiny blood stain on flooring near the bathroom. Laboratory testing confirmed that the blood belonged to Linda Spence. The finding provided the first physical evidence proving she had been inside the flat. Investigators made another important discovery. A fingerprint recovered from the bathroom door matched Colin Coates. The significance was considerable. Police now possessed witness statements placing Linda in the property, forensic evidence confirming her presence, and physical evidence linking Coates directly to the location. Additional inquiries strengthened the case further. CCTV footage revealed Coates purchasing floorboards, sandpaper, nails, and cleaning materials in the weeks following Linda's disappearance. The purchases were consistent with the refurbishment and cleanup work carried out at the flat. The evidence against the suspects continued to grow. On October 31, 2011, Colin Coates, Philip Wade, David Parker, and Paul Smith were arrested and charged in connection with Linda's abduction and murder. Despite the arrests, investigators still faced a significant challenge. Linda's body had never been found. Without a body, prosecutors would need to rely on witness testimony, forensic evidence, mobile phone data, digital records, and circumstantial evidence to prove their case. The

Trial Verdict And Long Sentences

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trial began at the High Court in Glasgow on the 16th of January 2013. Nearly two years had passed since Linda disappeared. All four defendants pleaded not guilty. Over the following weeks, jurors heard detailed evidence regarding Linda's life, business dealings, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Witnesses described her financial ventures and the money that had been entrusted to her. Evidence was presented concerning fraud allegations and failed property developments. Jurors also heard about her reported role as a covert intelligence source for law enforcement agencies. The focus then shifted to the events at Meadowfoot Road. David Parker and Paul Smith described seeing Linda tied to a chair in the attic. They spoke about the injuries she suffered and the daily violence inflicted by Coates and Wade. Parker recalled hearing Linda cry out in pain. At times, his testimony became emotional. He admitted that he had been horrified by what he witnessed, but had done nothing to stop it. Other witnesses described conversations with Wade and Coates after Linda's disappearance. Pamela Pearson testified that Wade had spoken about helping dispose of a woman's body. Lee Winyard described how Wade and Coates visited his caravan and requested the use of a boat because they wanted to dispose of something. John Glenn testified from behind a screen because of fears for his safety. He described being confronted by Coates and shown what he believed was Linda's severed thumb. The prosecution argued that his evidence demonstrated both the brutality of the crime and the methods used to intimidate potential witnesses. The defense challenged many of the prosecution witnesses. Coates and Wade denied involvement. Wade dismissed the allegations as fantasy. Coates offered an alternative explanation. He claimed Linda had voluntarily stayed at the flat because she was hiding from creditors and other individuals seeking repayment. According to his account, the property functioned as a safe house rather than a prison. He suggested that Linda had eventually left and disappeared of her own accord. The prosecution rejected that explanation. If Linda had been voluntarily living at the property, prosecutors argued, her DNA would have been present throughout the flat, rather than existing only in tiny traces consistent with an extensive cleanup operation. They also questioned why she had completely ceased contact with her family and abandoned all normal activity. After hearing 11 weeks of evidence, the jury retired to consider its verdict. Deliberations lasted approximately 20 hours over five days. On the 8th of April, 2013, the jury returned its decision. Colin Coates was found guilty of abducting, torturing, murdering, and disposing of the body of Linda Spence. Philip Wade was also found guilty of her abduction, torture, murder, and disposal. The verdicts confirmed what investigators had believed for many months. Linda Spence had not disappeared voluntarily. She had been kidnapped, tortured over a prolonged period, and murdered. At sentencing, Lord Pent Land described the crimes as monstrous and barbaric. He stated that Coates had been the dominant figure and principal architect behind the abduction, torture, and murder. David Parker received a sentence of 11 years and three months. Paul Smith received 11 years. Philip Wade was ordered to serve a minimum of 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. Colin Coates received a life sentence with a minimum term of 33 years, one of the longest minimum terms imposed by a Scottish court at that time.

Aftermath And Where Is Linda

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For Linda's family, the verdicts brought some measure of justice. However, they could not provide closure. Linda's body remained missing. Following the trial, her parents released a statement describing their daughter as warm, caring, and thoughtful. They thanked investigators, prosecutors, and support organizations that had helped them throughout the case. At the same time, they acknowledged that no sentence could bring Linda back. The question that continued to haunt them remained unanswered. Where was she? Searches were carried out at multiple locations over the years. Wells were examined, fields were excavated, numerous leads were investigated, none resulted in the recovery of Linda's remains. Questions were also raised after the trial regarding information sharing between law enforcement agencies. Evidence emerged that Linda had been working as a covert intelligence source before her disappearance, and that some officials became aware she was missing relatively quickly. Critics argued that better communication between agencies might have prompted an earlier investigation. Whether that would have changed the outcome remains unknown. Both Coates and Wade later appealed their convictions and sentences. The appeals were unsuccessful. Senior judges reviewed the evidence and concluded that the case against both men had been overwhelming. Their convictions remained in place.