Bio

Roderick McDonald was born in 1944 in Scotland and was originally from the Edinburgh area. He was a former soldier who later worked as a coach driver. He was married to Elizabeth McDonald. Court proceedings later heard that the marriage had become strained by his sexual demands and long-term relationship with another man. The couple separated for a period, but Elizabeth later returned after he reportedly promised to change his behavior and end outside relationships.

Murder Story

On November 23, 1992, the marriage of Roderick McDonald and Elizabeth McDonald ended in violence when Elizabeth was found dead in bed at their home in Edinburgh. Prosecutors said McDonald strangled her after ongoing conflict in the relationship. He later claimed he woke beside her body and could not remember the events of the night, but a jury rejected his account. In 1993, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of nine years.

For years he remained in custody, and after serving more than a decade he was transferred to Castle Huntly open prison. On April 11, 2005, he walked away from the facility and disappeared. Authorities searched for him, but he managed to remain free for almost two years while living under a false identity and working in England.

His freedom ended in February 2007 when police linked him to the death of Acioli Pariz-Junior. The 29-year-old Brazilian was found dead in a hotel room in London on Valentine’s Day after being stabbed and assaulted. Days later, McDonald was arrested in Brighton and returned to custody to face another murder charge. Before the second case could reach trial, the story came to an end inside Brixton Prison. On February 27, 2007, prison staff found McDonald hanged in his cell. Attempts to revive him failed, and he died before any court could rule on the new allegations.