The family of Stefan Sutherland, whose violent death in Caithness in 2013 is being reviewed by cold case cops, have been told by a new witness that he was murdered.

They have always believed he was killed by a local drug dealer who had beaten Stefan, 25, unconscious a year earlier and had threatened to finish him off.

The new witness has sent the family screenshots of messages exchanged on social media shortly after Stefan’s death but since deleted.

These reveal that one of the dealer’s associates at the time had told friends that the man had killed Stefan and had received help in disposing of his body.

In the messages, the dealer’s former associate is urged to go to police with the information. The associate replies: “I already have. They didn’t even write it down.”

(Image: PA)

The Record revealed last year the resentment the Caithness community had developed for local cops in relation to Stefan’s death as many felt they had been forced to sign false statements.

Many witnesses said officers refused to include anything about their suspicions that Stefan has been murdered and bullied them into signing statements officers had written for them.

Stefan died in September 2013, his body washing up on the beach at Occumster 11 days after he was last seen going into the drug dealer’s home in Lybster.

No one except the man who lived there claimed to have seen him leaving.

DNA tests on traces of blood in his living-room proved it was Stefan’s, yet police maintained until recently that there was no evidence of foul play.

Late last year, it was announced the case would be reviewed. Cops have spent the past fortnight interviewing witnesses.

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Detective Superintendent Graeme Mackie, leading the review, said responses had been obtained from almost all of the 480 properties visited.

Stefan’s dad Sandy said: “We do hope that after years of being let down by police that this team will deliver justice.”