Murderer who killed vulnerable Inverclyde teenager dies in prison
Edward Cairney, who murdered Margaret Fleming and claimed her benefits for nearly 20 years, died at HMP Edinburgh on Sunday
A man who murdered a vulnerable teenager in Inverclyde, and lived off her benefits for almost 18 years, has died in prison.
The Scottish Prison Service confirmed 82-year-old Edward Cairney died at HMP Edinburgh on October 15th.
Cairney and his partner, Avril Jones, were convicted of murdering vulnerable teenager Margaret Fleming, who was last seen alive aged 19, at a family party in December 1999.
READ MORE: Inverkip carers jailed for Margaret Fleming murder
Margaret had learning difficulties and lived with Cairney and Jones at a squalid cottage in Inverkip, after they acted as her "carers" when her father died.
The couple murdered Margaret between December 1999 and January 2000 and Jones went onto claim benefits worth £182,000, while the pair staged an elaborate cover-up, which police described as "greedy" and "fantastical".
Margaret was reported missing in 2016, and her body has never been found.
The killers were convicted at the High Court in Glasgow in 2019, and detectives issued an appeal to Cairney and Jones to reveal where Margaret's remains were, on what should have been her 39th birthday.
A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said: "Edward Cairney, 82, a prisoner at HMP Edinburgh has died on 15 October 2023. He was convicted at Glasgow High Court in 2019.
"Police Scotland have been advised and the matter reported to the Procurator Fiscal. A fatal accident inquiry will be held in due course."