SCOTLAND – Police have confirmed that a retired lecturer found dead at his Edinburgh flat was murdered.
Roger Gray, a retired lecturer, is the third gay man to have been killed in the Scottish city of Edinburgh in the last month; however, police say there is no evidence to link the deaths.
Gray was found stabbed in the hallway of his apartment after neighbors reported smelling gas.
Gray’s neighbor, Bill Coventry, told the Scotsman newspaper, “I couldn’t get into his flat. It was locked from the inside because it was like Fort Knox. I’m glad I didn’t get in because it was full of gas and also he was there.”
Police said the death was being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination has now confirmed that Gray, who taught at Heriot-Watt University, was murdered.
Concern is mounting in the Edinburgh gay community as Gray’s murder is the third gay person found dead in the last month.
“Roger was openly gay and had a long-term partner. He was very well liked by friends and colleagues, but was also quite a private person,” a friend of Gray said. “There is a sense of disbelief as he was such a gentle person. We’ve all been told that he was murdered but police are waiting for test results before saying that. It’s worrying, the number of serious incidents involving gay men in such a short time.”
