Everyone's asking what happened to Tony Parsons? Netflix is back with another gripping documentary series. Following the success of Trust Me: The False Prophet and The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson, it's released Should I Marry a Murderer?? It’s like nothing we’ve seen before, built almost entirely from the first-person narrative of Dr Caroline Muirhead and her Snapchat videos from the time (oh, those were the days).
In this jaw-dropping true-crime documentary, we discover how a cold-case missing-person investigation was solved through a confession from a newly engaged couple. A body once thought lost forever was located thanks to a crumpled Red Bull can. Secret recordings ultimately helped a woman expose the man she loved, who had done the unthinkable.
But to understand the documentary, you’ve got to know about Tony Parsons. Here’s the truth behind the victim at the heart of Should I Marry a Murderer?
Who was Tony Parsons?
Tony Parsons was 63 years old when he died. The grandfather was undertaking a 104-mile (167km) charity bike ride from Fort William back to his hometown of Tillicoultry in Clackmannanshire. A prostate cancer survivor himself, he had set out to raise money for charity in order to “give something back.”
Residents of Glencoe Village recall meeting Parsons at around 18:00 on the final day of his ride, and CCTV footage captured him cycling past a local petrol station.
What happened to Tony Parsons?
On the evening of 29 September 2017, Tony Parsons was cycling on the A82 between Bridge of Orchy and Tyndrum when he was hit by a speeding vehicle. Driving the vehicle was Alexander “Sandy” McKellar, accompanied by his twin brother, Robert McKellar, both of whom were heavily intoxicated.
The brothers did not seek medical assistance for Parsons, and instead hid his body while they went to change their vehicle. They later returned in a truck and placed him inside, along with his bike and personal belongings.
It was later revealed that Parsons’ injuries were so severe that he would likely only have survived 20 to 30 minutes without help, though it was unlikely he died instantly.
The brothers returned to the Auch Estate and initially hid Mr Parsons’ body in a wooded area. He was later moved to another location used for “the purposes of disposing of dead animals.”
The pair then dug a grave and buried Mr Parsons along with his personal possessions. For years, they told no one about the incident.
According to his son, Mike, the family began to grow concerned when Tony had not contacted them by Saturday night.
“I actually texted him myself, with what is my dad and myself's sense of humour, a simple text: 'Are you still alive?'
“Looking back now, it's not nice to know that was the very last thing I texted to him, knowing at this point he would have passed away.”
Despite numerous public appeals, including an appearance by Mike on Crimewatch, it seemed that Tony Parsons had vanished into thin air. His body might never have been found, if not for a confession between a newly engaged couple.
How did the police find Tony Parsons?
The case went cold until late 2020, when on 27 December, the police received a distressed phone call from a woman. Dr Caroline Muirhead told them she had information about a crime that had been committed three years earlier at Bridge of Orchy. She believed the victim was Tony Parsons and that her fiancé, Sandy McKellar, was responsible.
Life looks pretty different now.
The pair had recently become engaged after knowing each other for just two months, and Muirhead asked him if there was anything she needed to know. He admitted that he had killed a cyclist years earlier and hidden the body with the help of his brother. He showed her where on the estate the body was buried, saying he needed her help to dispose of it. Muirhead left a crumpled Red Bull can at the spot to mark it.
Police had previously spoken to Sandy and his brother in August 2018 after an anonymous letter claimed they had been at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel the night Parsons vanished, but no further action was taken. The brothers were later brought in for questioning but gave nothing away, both responding “no comment.”
Upon searching the estate, officers discovered the Red Bull can marking the burial site and began excavating the peat to locate the body. Parsons’ remains were recovered from the grave in January 2021 after a two-day operation involving specialist officers.
Following further evidence — including recordings made by Muirhead while she was still in a relationship with Sandy McKellar — police were able to arrest both brothers.
Did anyone go to prison for the death of Tony Parsons?
The 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 upon impact. Ultimately, a plea bargain was reached in which Sandy McKellar pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.
Sandy McKellar was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while his brother received a sentence of five years and three months.
A cold case solved by a confession between fiancées.
After Parsons’ body was recovered and returned to his family, they were finally able to hold a funeral for him.
Should I Marry a Murderer? is now on Netflix.
