29 April 2023 , 10:02
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A man who was wanted over the death of his pregnant fiancée had a twisted fantasy inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of The Rings.
Police launched a hunt for David Yates, 36, after the body of teacher Marelle Sturrock, 35, was discovered at her flat in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday morning.
On Thursday, cops recovered the body of a man from Mugdock Reservoir and yesterday they confirmed it has been identified as that of murder suspect Yates.
The suspect was a Lord of the Rings fanatic who nicknamed Marelle after a character who, chillingly, was involved in a doomed double death.
The suspected killer was also obsessed with swords from the famous fantasy novels, the Daily Record reports.
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Police discovered the body of David Yates two days after Marelle Sturrock was found dead at home (Daily Record)Yates had nicknamed victim Marelle her "Luthien", a Lord of the Rings character who chooses to die after her lover, Beren, is killed by a werewolf in the novels.
In a Facebook post on November 21, 2021, he wrote: "Big shout out to Marelle, my very own Luthien."
The names Luthien and Beren also appear on the gravestone of Lord of the Rings' author J.R.R. Tolkien and his wife, Edith.
Yates had nicknamed his partner over a Lord of the Rings character involved in a double deathFriends have confirmed Yates had an obsession with swords from the Lord of the Rings fantasy novels.
On his social media, he posed with a Lord of the Rings sword he had been given as a present, which prompted much-loved teacher Marelle to joke online that is what happened when she left him "home alone".
He also named the couple's dog Samwise Gamgee, a character in the book.
J.R.R. Tolkien's grave which carries the names Luthien for his wife and Beren for him (Daily Record)Yates had gained a big online following with his Lord of the Rings-themed podcast – titled Tol' Tales: A Charity Reading of The Lord of the Rings – on Facebook.
A source said: "David absolutely loved Lord of the Rings and it was clear to see. He named his pet after a character from the books and films and he came up with a nickname for Marelle from the stories.
"Nobody really saw any problem with it but the fact that the Luthien character was involved in this strange double death is chilling."
Marelle, who was 29 weeks pregnant, was found dead at home on Tuesday and her unborn child did not survive.
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Yates was obsessed with The Lord of the Rings (Daily Record)Two days later, Yates' body was found in the reservoir - and police believe he killed his partner before taking his own life.
Neighbours of the couple were also left in shock at the news of Marelle's death, describing the pair as "lovely" and "always so happy".
Officers probing the case confirmed Yates was the only person wanted in connection with Marelle's murder.
Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: "Our thoughts are with Marelle’s family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy. We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time."