We need to talk about Alexander McKellar.
You’re going to want to be seated for this one. Netflix’s newest true crime documentary, Should I Marry a Murderer?, explores an unusual case: a years-old disappearance suddenly solved by a confession between an engaged couple. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Netflix has been on a run of successful documentary series lately, from Lamar Odom’s tell-all to Trust Me: The False Prophet. We’ve seen haunting cases in The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson and explorations of toxic masculinity in Louis Theroux's Inside the Manosphere.
Now, it’s time for Caroline Muirhead to tell her story in Should I Marry a Murderer?.
"When I first heard Caroline Muirhead’s story I thought this must be the plot of a drama, not the real experiences of a living person," director Josh Allott said. "Her dilemma is so unimaginable, but it’s also one that’s impossible not to hypothesise in your own relationship."
Here’s everything you need to know about Alexander McKellar and the case of Tony Parsons.
How did Alexander McKellar and Caroline Muirhead meet?
Dr Caroline Muirhead was a pathologist working in Glasgow. She met Alexander “Sandy” McKellar on Tinder, and the pair met almost immediately. They quickly began spending most of their free time together, with Muirhead driving out to the estate where McKellar lived and worked as a gamekeeper.
In the documentary, Muirhead explains that she had recently come out of a bad relationship and felt an instant, intense connection with McKellar. Just two months later, the pair were engaged.
Life looks pretty different now.
What did Alexander McKellar do?
On the evening of 29 September 2017, Alexander “Sandy” McKellar and his brother were leaving a party while intoxicated when they hit a cyclist. They didn’t realise at the time that the victim was Tony Parsons, who was on a 100-mile solo charity bike ride. The brothers did not seek medical assistance and instead hid Parsons’ body while they went to change their vehicle. They later returned in a truck, placing him inside along with his bike and personal belongings.
They took his body to a wooded area on the Auch Estate. It was later moved to another site used for “the purposes of disposing of dead animals” and buried.
For years, the brothers told no one.
Parsons was reported missing, but as time passed, the case eventually went cold.
How was Alexander McKellar caught?
After their whirlwind romance turned into an engagement, Caroline Muirhead asked her fiancé if there was anything in his past that could affect their future. He admitted to the crime and later drove her to the exact spot where he and his brother had disposed of Tony Parsons’ body and belongings. To mark the location, Muirhead left a can of Red Bull for police to find.
On 27 December, Muirhead contacted police to report the crime. She said she believed the victim was Tony Parsons and that her fiancé, Alexander “Sandy” McKellar, was responsible.
Police had previously spoken to McKellar and his brother in August 2018 after an anonymous letter claimed they had been at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel on the night Parsons vanished, but no further action was taken.
The cold case solved by a Red Bull can.
When brought in again, both brothers sat through interviews giving “no comment” responses. Muirhead continued her relationship with McKellar and obtained further recorded confessions to assist police.
During a search of the estate, officers discovered the Red Bull can marking the burial site and began excavating the peat. Parsons’ remains were recovered in January 2021 following a two-day operation involving specialist officers.
With the evidence gathered, police were able to arrest the brothers.
Where is Alexander McKellar now?
Police later escalated the charge from dangerous driving to murder after evidence suggested that Tony Parsons had remained alive for a period following the collision and did not die instantly on impact. Ultimately, a plea bargain was reached in which Alexander “Sandy” McKellar pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.
Robert McKellar was sentenced to five years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
Ruth McQuaid of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “These brothers failed in their attempts to obstruct and evade justice.
“These were heinous and calculating crimes which brought untold distress to Mr Parsons’ wife, children, and grandchildren. They were left in the intolerable situation of not knowing where he was or what had happened to him.
“The fact that Anthony’s disappearance was subject to a major missing persons enquiry for several years meant his family were left in the dark over his whereabouts.
“But all the time, Alexander and Robert McKellar were going about their everyday lives knowing that, in fact, he was dead and that they had buried him amongst animal carcasses.
“They kept this secret with wilful disregard for Mr Parsons’ family. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by the unconscionable and brutal actions of these two men.”
Both brothers are still serving their sentences in a Scottish prison and did not provide any comment for the documentary.
Should I Marry a Murderer? is now on Netflix.
