Bio 

Stanislaw Myszka was born in 1924. He was a Polish man living in Scotland after the Second World War. He had been connected to Polish exile or resettlement circles in Perthshire, including the area around Taymouth Castle, which was then being used for Polish soldiers who had remained in Britain after the war.

Before the murder, Myszka had worked as a farm labourer in Aberdeenshire. A gardener later recognized a sawn-off shotgun found near the murder scene as one that had gone missing around the time Myszka left farm work in Old Meldrum. This became one of the pieces of evidence that helped police connect him to the killing.

Murder Story

On September 26, 1947, Catherine McIntyre was murdered at Tower Cottage near Kenmore, Perthshire, Scotland. She was 47 years old and the mother of three children. Her family lived in an isolated cottage on the slopes above Loch Tay. That day, her husband was away, and she was expected to work at Tombuie House, but she never arrived.

Her son Archie later returned home and found the cottage locked. After forcing his way inside, he discovered his mother’s body in a bedroom. She had been tied, gagged, and beaten to death. Money was missing from the home, and her wedding ring had been taken. Reports place the stolen money at around £80 to £90.

Police searched the area around the cottage and found a hidden shelter in the bracken. Inside or nearby, they discovered a bloodstained sawn-off shotgun, a used razor blade, a bloodstained handkerchief, and part of a serviceman’s railway ticket from Perth to Aberfeldy. The ticket helped investigators focus on men connected to military or resettlement camps in the area.

Myszka was arrested near Peterhead on October 2, 1947. When he was searched, Catherine McIntyre’s wedding ring was found hidden in his shoe. At trial, he denied murder and admitted only theft. The prosecution relied on several pieces of evidence, including the shotgun, the handkerchief, the ring, and hair evidence from the razor blade. Professor Glaister testified that the hair on the razor was consistent with Myszka’s beard hair.

The jury took about 20 minutes to find Myszka guilty. He was sentenced to death and hanged at Perth Prison on February 6, 1948. He was 23 years old. His execution was the last hanging carried out at Perth Prison.