David Gilroy was a colleague and former lover of Suzanne Pilley, working with her at Infrastructure Managers Ltd in Edinburgh, Scotland. Prior to the murder investigation, he had no known criminal record or history of violence that was publicly documented. He was married at the time of the events, and his relationship with Pilley was described by witnesses as on-again, off-again and emotionally turbulent. At various points, Pilley had expressed concern to friends about Gilroy's behavior, including suspicions that he may have been accessing her personal emails.

Although not much of Gilroy's personal life or psychological background was made public, the trial revealed he was prone to obsessive behaviors, including repeated texting and contacting Pilley — sometimes exceeding 50 messages a day. The sudden end of contact right before her disappearance, along with Gilroy’s evasiveness and peculiar injuries, would become central points of scrutiny in court. His family life was also indirectly involved in the proceedings, with his wife, Andrea Gilroy, declining to testify under her legal right.

Gilroy attempted to portray his final interaction with Suzanne Pilley as a peaceful breakup involving a ritualistic ceremony, which investigators and prosecutors later dismissed as a fabrication. His career at Infrastructure Managers and his professional image crumbled after his arrest, leading to a public and media-fueled downfall.

Suzanne Pilley, aged 38, disappeared on the morning of 4 May 2010 while on her usual route to work in central Edinburgh. She was last seen on CCTV at 8:54 AM, just steps away from her office on Thistle Street. When she failed to arrive at work, her parents reported her missing later that same day. An intense police search and public campaign followed, with her case drawing national attention.

Investigators quickly focused on David Gilroy, a colleague and former boyfriend. He was arrested and charged with her murder on 23 June 2010. What followed was one of the most widely discussed Scottish murder trials in recent history — not least because Suzanne Pilley’s body was never recovered.

Prosecutors argued that Gilroy murdered Pilley on the premises of their shared workplace, concealed her body, and later transported it in the boot of his car to a remote area in Argyll, where it was presumably buried. Cadaver dogs identified areas of interest both in the basement of the office and in Gilroy’s vehicle. Despite this, no physical DNA evidence of Pilley was recovered from either location.

The trial, which began on 20 February 2012 and lasted 24 days, presented a compelling circumstantial case. Surveillance footage showed Gilroy taking an unusually long round trip to Argyll on 5 May, with roughly 124 miles of his journey unaccounted for by police reconstruction. His fuel consumption, route inconsistencies, and forensic photos showing scratches and bruises — possibly inflicted during a struggle — all supported the prosecution’s theory. Additionally, a forensic pathologist testified that Gilroy’s injuries were consistent with those seen in strangulation cases.

The jury reached a majority verdict on 15 March 2012, convicting David Gilroy of murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 18 years to be served before parole eligibility. Despite ongoing public interest and further efforts by police, Suzanne Pilley’s body has never been found, and Gilroy continues to maintain his innocence.