Man due in court over murder of scientist Dr Fortune Gomo in Dundee

A man is due to return to court more than a year after being charged with the murder of a scientist in Dundee.

Police were called to South Road at around 4.25pm on Saturday, July 5, 2025, after Dr Fortune Gomo was seriously injured.

The 39-year-old was treated by paramedics but was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives launched a murder investigation and arrested a 20-year-old man over Dr Gomo’s death.

Kyler Rattray was charged with murder and was remanded in custody after appearing at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Rattray is due to appear at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday, August 10.

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Dr Gomo was an environmental and water resources scientist and PhD graduate of the University of Dundee.

She had recently started a job with Scottish Water.

Previously, detective superintendent Peter Sharp, the officer in charge of the inquiry, said: “Firstly, my thoughts remain with Fortune’s family at this incredibly sad time.

“They are being supported by specialist officers, and I would ask that their privacy is respected.

“Our enquiries are continuing and I remain satisfied that the incident poses no wider risk to the public.”

The attack happened on Dundee's South Road. — The attack happened on Dundee’s South Road. STV News

He said that the force had been following a number of lines of inquiry and are aware of content circulating on social media.

The public was urged not to speculate about the circumstances of the incident.

Professor Simon Parsons, director of environment planning and assurance at Scottish Water, said: “Everyone at Scottish Water, where Dr Fortune Gomo worked, is shocked and saddened by her death and we send our deepest sympathies to her family and friends.

“Fortune was an exceptional scientist and a senior service planner in our Water Resources Planning section based in Dundee where, having joined us in February, she had already become a highly valued and respected member of our team.

“We are supporting her colleagues at Scottish Water following this incident.”

Dr Gomo’s high school and university friend said her “brilliance in the classroom was only matched by her emotional intelligence”.

Angela Machonesa studied with Dr Gomo at Chinhoyi High School and the National University of Science and Technology, which are both in Zimbabwe, south-east Africa.

In a social media post, she said: “She was the kind of person you’d go to when you needed clarity, not just of mind, but of heart. She listened. She cared. She uplifted.

“No wonder she went on to earn her PhD. It was only natural. Her path was written in the stars long ago. To serve. To lead. To heal. And she was doing just that.

“But now, that dream, our Fortune’s dream, has been violently, senselessly stolen from us all.

She added: “A child will now grow up without the love and presence of a mother. A family will mourn a daughter who once lit up their home with hope and promise.”