Police investigating the brutal murder of a north-east pensioner will make a national appeal for information to track down his killer next week.
Brian McKandie was beaten to death at his home in Rothienorman in March this year.
But despite a huge police investigation, public appeals – and an appearance on Crimewatch Roadshow in June – detectives have been unable to track down the 67-year-old’s killer.
Now Detective Chief Inspector Iain Smith is preparing to go back onto the BBC1 show, this time during its prime evening slot, to appeal for help.
Mr McKandie’s brother, Bill, will also feature in his first national television interview.
In a clip released today, Mr McKandie’s brother says: “We just can’t put our finger on the reason for it happening.
“There seems to be no apparent reason.
“Somebody, somewhere knows what happened.”
Police have spoken to hundreds of people and have undertaken one of the largest forensic searches in the history of the Scottish force.
Earlier this month, they revealed they had found fresh DNA evidence at Mr McKandie’s cottage at Badenscoth – and that a mass screening could be carried out to finally trace his killer.
The charity Crimestoppers has also offered a £10,000 reward for information that could lead to a conviction.
DCI Smith said: “Brian was a 67-year-old man who lived alone, who worked hard as a self-employed mechanic and was friendly to everyone he knew.
“Why anybody would want to hurt him remains a mystery, however somebody, somewhere knows what happened to him and I would urge them to look into their conscience and come forward.”
The case will feature on Crimewatch on Monday, at 9pm.
Anyone with information about the murder should call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
