The body of a fugitive serial torturer dubbed the has been found chopped into pieces in woodland.
Martin Hamilton is thought to have been killed by underworld rivals some time after he was reported missing before his body was dismembered, then dumped.
A dog walker found human remains later confirmed as Hamilton who had not been seen since April. But only the 53-year-old criminal’s skull and some parts of his spine were discovered in the shallow grave in remote woodland near West Calder, West Lothian, last week.
Police sources said initial examination of Hamilton’s skull showed he had suffered a head injury, but it was still to be establish if this happened before or after he died.
A police source also added: “There are no post mortem results yet so we’re keeping an open mind as to what has happened to him but he was one of the most feared criminals in Scotland and it’s hard to believe he was taking a stroll in woods alone and dropped down dead.”
Detectives probing his disappearance were told the gangster had moved to England with no reason and were trying to establish his exact whereabouts when the remains were found.
“While his death is being treated as unexplained other inquiries are being carried out to establish why he was in the West Lothian area or how his remains came to be there.
The body parts were discovered in woodland under foliage. That could be due to the length of time he has been lying but is possibly a shallow grave.”
A specialist team of police officers has been set up to investigate what happened to Hamilton as he was convicted of torture, assault, abduction and drug dealing, and handed a life sentence with a minimum of nine years to serve.
A manhunt was launched to track down the fugitive by detectives and a £2000 reward was offered. Hamilton hadn’t been seen since April 16, prompting officers to issue three separate pleas for information from the public as to his whereabouts.