Who killed Kiesha: Chilling footage sheds light on shocking murder of Elgin mum-of-two

Press and Journal

a day ago

A new docuseries has shed more light on how police captured Kiesha Donaghy's killer and the brutal details of the crime.
Lucretia Donaghy, known as Kiesha, was repeatedly bludgeoned by Owen Grant in her flat on Anderson Drive in November 2023.
The attack was said to be savage, frenzied and brutal, with the Elgin mum-of-two found by friends a day later.
Her murder shocked the Moray community, with an evidence trail eventually leading to the culprit, Owen Grant.
Now, the docuseries Murder Case has revealed more details about the brutal crime and the police investigation in the episode, Who Killed Kiesha?
The episode starts with a panicked 999 call to police after friends found Kiesha in the bedroom of her flat.
DI William Murdoch gives a briefing laying out the details of what the police know so far.
According to DI Murdoch, Kiesha was found lying face down, by the side of the bed.
Photographs of the scene are shown, including the bed, which is littered with items such as an ashtray, lighter and cigarette papers, as well as bloodstains.
There is also blood spatter and staining on the walls of the bedroom including a bloody handprint, which was later attributed to Owen Grant.
People who knew Kiesha gave emotional interviews about what she was like.
Bob, her best friend, said he was 'intimidated' by her when he first met her.
He said: 'She was that big of a personality. She couldn't walk quietly into a room.
'She had to be the loud one.'
Bob shared funny videos of Kiesha, describing her as 'one-of-a-kind'.
According to witnesses, Owen Grant was seen in the company of Kiesha in the lead up to her death.
Grant had come in willingly and gave police a statement on her movements.
He told officers he had been in his bed all day, before getting up to go to the Cottar House pub to play pool.
According to officers, Kiesha had received death threats before she died.
She was last seen on a video call at 4.30pm on the day she died.
Officers believe she was killed between 7pm and 8pm on November 15.
Later on in the episode, the officers receive CCTV footage that shows Owen Grant walking down Murray Street at 8.30pm, 100 yards away from Kiesha's flat.
Around 6am on November 16, Grant is seen on CCTV footage inside McDonald's.
During one of his briefings, DI Murdoch reveals that Kiesha was also known to police for involvement in the supply of drugs in the Moray and Highland areas.
Kiesha's aunt, Rachel, came forward during the investigation with information regarding a drug deal that she'd pieced together from deleted messages.
She was using her aunt's phone to access her Facebook Messenger account, which confirmed to Rachel her niece was dealing.
According to the messages, someone with the pseudonym Joe Bloggs was sending 'his two amigos up' and insisted they meet at her flat.
Kiesha didn't have all the man's money, and so wanted to meet them elsewhere.
Rachel gave an interview during which she said the death of Kiesha's grandmother hit Kiesha very hard and it was after this that she began to get involved with drugs.
Her two daughters were eventually taken from her and Rachel said Kiesha went 'down a rabbit hole she couldn't get out of'.
A post-mortem revealed Kiesha was killed by a blow from a round-headed object to the back of the skull.
However, other sinister details included fractures to her right index and ring fingers, which could have been done to extract information.
The investigation became firmly focused on the movements of Owen Grant, who was at the Cottar Hoose after Kiesha's estimated time of death.
He left after just one pint and went over to the nearby Scotmid store, having changed his clothing.
The time stamp is 9.45pm.
He buys a few items including cigarettes, but it is behaviour that catches the attention of officers.
Grant opens his wallet and takes out a large wad of cash.
Officers say he was 'flaunting' the bank notes, despite struggling to pay his rent.
They called the CCTV footage a 'landmark moment'.
Police were able to work back and find that Grant appeared on CCTV outside the Scotmid store at about 9pm and placed an unknown item into a bin.
DI Murdoch says they are unlikely to find whatever Grant put in the bin.
The bloody handprint evidence leads officers to make the arrest of Owen Grant and the process is shown in the episode.
During an interview with police, he repeatedly replies 'no comment' to questions.
Watching officers comment that he seemed relaxed.
Grant was eventually found guilty of Kiesha's murder after a lengthy trial.
And a judge sentenced him to serve at least 24 years in jail before he can seek parole.