What happened to Ed McCusker? Where does the Pan Am 103 case stand today after the Netflix series
For Crime Recollection Stories: Warning: This article contains a recollection of a crime and may be triggering for some readers; readers’ discretion is advised.
Netflix’s six-part limited series 'The Bombing of Pan Am 103' follows the attack that killed 270 people over Lockerbie, Scotland, and the investigation across countries and decades. The series arrived on Netflix on July 30 after its BBC One run. Netflix’s official logline reads: “On Dec. 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people. What followed was the largest murder investigation in the history of Scottish policing, into the deadliest act of terrorism on British soil. Based on the testimony of those who were there, this is the true story of the collaboration between Scottish police and US law enforcement — and the families’ quest for justice.”
Connor Swindells plays Detective Sergeant Ed McCusker, one of the officers shown working through the inquiry. McCusker was a real Strathclyde Police detective sergeant who later joined the Lockerbie investigation. However, the version seen in the series does not recount only one officer’s actions. Producer Julia Stannard said, as reported by Stylist, “Our Ed McCusker, as shown in the drama, reflects the experiences of a number of the Scottish cops who were involved in the initial investigation, as well as the real Ed McCusker.”
The real McCusker was among the investigators at Lockerbie after the crash and worked with the HOLMES computer system used to log and process evidence. He later worked in witness protection and helped Maltese shopkeeper Tony Gauci feel safe enough to give evidence. After leaving the police, McCusker worked for the Irish government and re-examined unsolved murders connected to the Troubles. He has largely stayed out of public attention, but has returned to the Lockerbie story as an adviser on the series.
McCusker visited the set and worked closely with the cast and writers, while Swindells spent time with him before filming. “Meeting Ed was great; he’s an incredibly warm, friendly man who was so generous with his time. He had me around to lunch at his house. He was so generous with trying to recount as much as possible the events that occurred, lifting me up with as much support as he could. He’s been a great resource, not just to me but to everyone on this production, and I’m very grateful,” the actor said.
Lauren Lyle, who plays McCusker’s wife, June, said his decision to take part was tied to a request from his late wife. “He was doing it for her because they had this amazing romantic story of their life and their love together. [About] five years ago, she died of cancer, and the last thing that she said to him was: ‘You have to tell your Lockerbie story,’” Lyle explained at a press event. McCusker’s work on the production is the clearest update on where he is now.
While McCusker's role in the investigation is now being revisited through the Netflix series, the wider Pan Am 103 case remains active. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi remains the only person convicted in connection with the bombing. He was found guilty of 270 counts of murder in 2001, released on compassionate grounds in 2009 after a terminal cancer diagnosis, and died in Libya in 2012. Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, who stood trial with him, was acquitted.
A separate US case is moving toward trial against Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi, who is accused of making the bomb. Mas’ud has pleaded not guilty and disputes a 2012 confession that he says was obtained under duress. Pretrial proceedings were active in July, and jury selection was scheduled to begin in Washington, D.C., on August 25, 2026. The case, therefore, remains partially unresolved beyond al-Megrahi's conviction, with another accused man awaiting trial.
