As it was the summertime and warm it was not long before dogs were attracted to the resting place of the victims. As the dogs were hungry too, they had come across a real feast and they carried away tasty morsels which included a leg still covered in white hose complete with shoe. This artifact was later found by a local person and the hunt went up. The bodies were found by Mr. James Garvie of Pitkellony and taken to Muthill where they were laid out. The faces had been disfigured and no one recognised who the unfortunates were. They were stripped and given a pauper’s burial and their clothes retained in a nearby shop.

Enquiries were instituted throughout the parishes in the district and in time suspicion fell upon a sergeant and private of the 42nd regiment. They had been active in the neighbourhood on a recruiting drive. On hearing that enquiries were being made about them both soldiers appeared voluntarily in Muthill and served notice that they were staying at George Nish’s house and that if anyone had anything to say to them they could do so there. They also stated that they would stay there for a few days and thereafter they could be contacted at Fort George. To all intents and purposes they appeared to be innocent of the crime.

The clothes of the victims in the meantime had not been identified until after the harvest when someone recognised a piece of clothing as belonging to McOwan’s woman and then suspicion fell upon this wretch. A “posse” of four was rounded up with George Murray in charge and they headed towards Comrie. After making enquiries it was established that McOwan could be found at a wedding being held at the Milton. When they arrived the dancing was at its height and there, dancing lightly on his feet to an eightsome reel, was the villain.

When the lawmen approached, members of the wedding party took off there jackets and made ready for a punch-up. When Murray explained the reason for his visit, also alluding to the fact that if any got in his way they would be banished to the colonies, the “posse” arrested McOwan and took him to Perth jail.

A trial took place and he was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged at the Burghmuir with his offending hand cut off immediately before the swing! He was taken in a cart to the place of execution and a rope fastened around his neck. Before a fascinated audience, his hand was severed by the executioner who unfortunately displayed a certain amount of inexperience. As he was cutting the hand off, the executioner accidentally nicked a part of the rope at the same time. When the cart moved off the rope snapped and McOwan fell to the ground. Seizing the moment, and wiping his eyes with his blooded stump he declared that his life should be spared.

However, Baillie Fife didn’t quite see it that way stating that, “The sentence of law must be fulfilled.” The crowd roared their approval and a new rope fastened around his neck and he was hung, yea, hangit...until he was deid! His corpse was then wrapped in a canvas sack and covered in tar and there left to rot on the gibbet!

The sergeant and the private originally thought to have been the killers were in fact murderers, but of other people, and they too met their maker in a similar fashion!