THE Orkney Assassin, Michael Ross, was just 15 years old when he murdered waiter Shamsuddin Mahmood.
On June 2 1994, Ross shot the waiter while he served customers in an Indian restaurant in Orkney, an island located off the northern coast of Scotland.
Where is Michael Ross now?
Michael Ross, born on 28 August 1978, was found guilty of the murder in 2008 and is serving a life sentence in HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire, with a minimum of 25 years.
Ross was originally questioned by police six months after the murder of the 26-year-old waiter, but prosecutors ruled there was not enough evidence to charge the teenager.
In the following summer, Ross left the island of Orkney, where he was born, and 17 joined the Scottish regiment.
From there, he progressed through the ranks and became a decorated Black Watch sniper after serving a tour of duty in Iraq.
But on June 20 2008, he was brought to justice in the High Court in Glasgow.
Michael Ross, accused of murder, arriving at Glasgow High Court.[/caption]
During his guilty verdict, Ross, dramatically tried to flee by jumping out of the dock and knocking over the security guard.
Now 47 years old, Ross has tried to escape HMP Shotts, one of Scotland’s highest security prisons, three times, including an attempt to scale the fence in 2018.
As a result, he was sentenced to two years in prison to run alongside his life term of which he has served 17 years so far.
What happened to Shamsuddin Mahmood?
The murder of Shamsuddin Mahmood took place on June 2, 1994 when he was fatally shot after a man wearing a balaclava entered Mumataz Restaurant in Kirkwall at around 7.10pm and exited the premises shortly after.
Shamsuddin had arrived in Orkney only six weeks before and had plans to return to Bangladesh to marry his fiancée.
Shamsuddin’s murder was the first to take place on the island in 25 years and during the original investigation, 2,736 statements were taken.
Ross’ mother Moira, recounted the time Michael came home from the police station when he was 16 years old.
She went upstairs and asked whether he had shot Shamsuddin six months before, which he denied.
During the investigation, Edmund Ross’ career as a police officer ended after he lied about the fact that he owned identical bullets to those used in the murder weapon.
Edmund Ross was subsequently jailed for four years in 1997 for perverting the course of justice.
It is reported that Michael Ross’ earliest possible release is in 2035.
How to watch The Orkney Assassin: Murder In The Isles
Amazon Prime Video has released a special titled The Orkney Assassin: Murder In The Isles, providing insight from law enforcement officers, eyewitnesses, journalists, and also interviews with Ross’ parents, who maintain his innocence.
The first episode aired on Sunday, June 8 2025.
