The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)

Postmortem reveals Annalise died from ‘neck incision’.

crime: Tragic Annalise’s death certificat­e says the 22-year-old had her throat cut

- JaMie buchan jabuchan@thecourier.co.uk

A post-mortem examinatio­n has revealed how body-in-the-woods victim Annalise Johnstone died.

The 22-year-old was discovered at the side of a remote Perthshire road four weeks ago, prompting a major police investigat­ion.

Now her death certificat­e has confirmed she died after having her throat cut.

The single cause of death recorded by forensic pathologis­t David Sadler is “neck incision”.

The certificat­e, registered at Coatbridge, near her family home in North Lanarkshir­e, and signed by her grandmothe­r, notes she was found dead at 12.40pm on May 10 at the B8062 between Auchterard­er and Dunning.

Ms Johnstone’s brother Jordan has appeared in court accused of her murder.

It is alleged the 24-year-old killed her by repeatedly stabbing her with a sharp implement at the Maggie Wall monument on the B8062.

He was committed for trial following a second, private appearance at Perth Sheriff Court last week.

Johnstone also faces allegation­s he stole a caravan in Irvine, Ayshire, the day before his sister’s body was found.

More than 11 locations across Tayside were sealed off by police as part of the two-week investigat­ion, including the Maggie Wall memorial, an infamous cairn and cross dedicated to a 17th Century witch.

The monument gained global notoriety during the trial of Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.

It emerged they had visited the site during their killing spree and photograph­s of the pair posing next to the stone cross were published in newspapers at the time.

Miss Johnstone, a member of the Ardrossan Travelling community, had been driven to Auchterard­er the night before she was found dead.

Police recovered the car she was believed to have travelled in at a housing estate in Inchture. Houses in Auchterard­er were also cordoned off and investigat­ors visited the Toolstatio­n store on King’s Cross Road, Dundee.

The B8062 stretch where Miss Johnstone was found was kept closed for two weeks.

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 ??  ?? Annalise’s body was found at the side of a remote Perthshire road.
Annalise’s body was found at the side of a remote Perthshire road.

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