Forensic review ordered in case of Fife man Colin Marr who died from stab wound in 2007

Experts are to carry out a new forensic and pathology review in the case of a Fife man who died from a stab wound to the chest more than 15 years ago.

Colin Marr died following a single blow from a kitchen knife in 2007 when he was 23 years old after a row with his fiance Candice Bonar at their Lochgelly home.

Police ruled that Mr Marr had taken his own life, a conclusion which has long been contested by his family.

Ms Bonar, who has been interviewed three times by police, has always maintained her innocence and voluntarily appeared in person at the 2011 fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into his death.

Speaking after the FAI, Ms Bonar said: “My name is cleared. I have always been honest and declared my innocence throughout this heart-breaking nightmare.

“What Colin did, he did to himself and that’s the truth.”

The Crown Office has now ordered a new forensic and pathology review following the conclusion of a police review which began in 2021.

It is understood that detective chief inspector Brian Geddes – who led the cold case review of the Renee and Andrew MacRae murders – will be in charge of re-examining the case.

A statement from the Marr family said they “clearly welcome” the latest update from the Crown Office.

It added: “It is two years past since we presented police with evidence from Dr Nat Cary that clearly states the location of the wound, and thus the significance of the wound, in terms of Colin’s death being a homicide.

“Not only does it raise significant questions, it also gives Colin a chance of getting justice.”

Mr Marr’s mother, Margaret Graham told STV News: “Colin’s only voice is through a court and through us, Everyone else is protected, but when you’re dead, you have no protection and so it’s up to us to fight for his rights still as an individual.

“It’s been a long time coming, to be honest. I mean, that’s been 15 years and we’re hopeful that something will come out of this.

“As long as we’ve got information that’s relevant to this case, we’ll keep on fighting and we always have.

“The hard thing is that it really shouldn’t have been us that have looked for this evidence and gone to all the experts. It shouldn’t be up to the victim’s family to do that.”

Police in Fife and the Crown Office both previously produced reports critical of the original investigation into Mr Marr’s death and issued apologies to his family.

A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “We appreciate the importance of this work to the family and they will be informed of significant developments.

“Once further enquiries are complete, all the evidence will be reviewed by a prosecutor who has had no previous involvement in the case.”

In 2021 a bundle of material was handed over to Police Scotland by Mr Marr’s stepfather Stuart Graham which included a report by leading pathologist Dr Nat Cary, who said it was “both possible and plausible” Mr Marr’s injury was “inflicted by a third party” and questioned previous police reports on the location of the stab wound.

Mr Graham has also previously claimed a photograph used as part of an investigation in 2009 is not of his stepson and it was placed deliberately in a series of images of the scene.

Police in Fife and the Crown Office both previously produced reports critical of the original investigation into Mr Marr’s death and issued apologies to his family.