Chilling Details Emerge in Phoenix Spencer-Horn Murder Case
Few criminal cases in Scotland have rattled the public as much as the horrific murder of Phoenix Spencer-Horn in East Kilbride. Ewan Methven, 27, stood before the High Court in Glasgow in June 2025 and admitted he was the sole force behind Phoenix’s brutal death last November. The savage nature of the attack, the manipulative attempts to hide the crime, and the wave of heartbreak left behind have put this case in the national spotlight.
The night of the attack started off like many others. Methven and Phoenix, who had met just over a year before, ordered takeaway food to share after Phoenix finished her waitress shift. Friends said Methven was growing anxious and jealous due to Phoenix’s late-night hours. But no one could have predicted how far his obsession and insecurity would go.
On that fateful night, investigators say Methven flew into a violent rage. He strangled Phoenix, stabbing her 20 times with a kitchen knife, then mutilated her body in a shocking act of decapitation. It was the kind of violence rarely seen in domestic cases, and left even seasoned detectives shaken.
Desperate Cover-Up Unravels
Fearing exposure, Methven went to alarming lengths to avoid suspicion. For days, he sent text messages from Phoenix’s phone to her mother, pretending she was alive and well. The trickery didn’t end there: he drove Phoenix’s car around the area and even tried to buy cocaine, possibly searching for an escape or a means to blunt his own guilt. All the while, he kept Phoenix’s body hidden from her family and police, prolonging their agony.
Police were finally called on November 18, after Phoenix’s worried mother felt something wasn’t right. What officers discovered in the flat on Glen Lee left a permanent mark on all involved. Methven had not only taken Phoenix’s life but tried to erase evidence, spinning a tangled web of lies that unraveled fully only after his arrest at the end of November. In police interviews, Methven admitted the sequence of events, and the forensic investigation confirmed the sheer brutality of the crime scene.
Authorities and advocates stressed how the case exposed the devastating consequences of domestic violence that can hide in plain sight. Ewan Methven, a seemingly ordinary postman, turned calculating killer in the span of just one evening.
Detective Chief Inspector Susie Cairns called the attack one of the most severe she has ever seen. She urged communities to recognize signs of domestic danger and reminded the public that violence, in any form, won’t be tolerated. The police promised to keep pressure on violent offenders, making it clear that no cover-up will ever be enough to shield perpetrators from the justice system.
Methven now waits for his sentencing hearing on July 14, 2025, knowing he’ll face the full consequences for his actions. For Phoenix’s family, the pain will never fade, but at least there is a small comfort in knowing her killer admitted guilt and will be brought to justice.