Police investigating the murder of a dog walker shot on the outskirts of Aberfeldy have admitted, two months on, they have no suspect.
The body of 65-year-old Brian Low was discovered alongside his black Labrador at around 8.30am on Saturday February 17 in the Pitillie area on the outskirts of Aberfeldy.
The lead investigator has told STV News that she has no suspect, nor enough evidence.
Mr Low’s death was initially assessed as being “non-suspicious and medical-related” but it was confirmed six days later that he had been fatally shot.
STV NewsDetectives have visited almost 500 properties and a dedicated team are examining 2,400 hours of CCTV footage but have yet to catch the person responsible for murdering the retired groundskeeper.
A team of 31 officers from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, plus senior management, the local division and operational support are involved in the investigation, providing national specialist support to the local policing operation.
Officers, drawn from teams across Scotland, have been carrying out house to house enquiries at 478 homes and are working through information from around 800 questionnaires to establish what happened to Mr Low.
Speaking to media on Monday, the lead investigator on the case, detective superintendent Lorna Ferguson, of the Major Investigation Team confirmed that no suspect had been identified.
“I don’t have a suspect,” DS Ferguson told STV News.
Asked if she has enough evidence, she said: “I don’t have that at the moment, we’re working through at the moment.
“We’re not hitting a dead end, we’ve certainly got a number of people still to speak to.”
There has been concern in the community over the lack of answers, with one man telling STV News: “I feel like the police haven’t been doing enough. We’ve had quite a lot of patrols around the first few weeks and there’s nothing now.
“They’re going around shops and houses and it just seems like they’re not actually getting anywhere.”
In a renewed appeal for information DS Ferguson “urgently appealed” to anyone with information to speak to police.
She added that the force is “fully committed” to tracing the person responsible “as soon as possible”.
“Officers have trawled hours of public and private CCTV footage as part of the investigation,” she said, “door-to-door enquiries are still being carried out, as well as speaking to local businesses.
“This area is a safe place to live and work and incidents like this are, thankfully, extremely rare. We understand the significant impact this has had on the local community in the Aberfeldy area and I would like to thank everyone for their help so far.”
She added: “I am confident that key information in this investigation lies within the local community. Somebody knows something. Even if you feel the information you hold is not important, we would still ask you to contact us. It could be crucial to getting the answers we need for Brian’s family.
“Anyone in the surrounding area with dash cam, private CCTV or doorbell footage from around the time of his death, who has not already spoken to officers, is urged to get in touch.
“There will continue to be a significant police presence in the area while our investigation is ongoing. This includes uniformed and plain-clothed officers from the local division and the Major Investigation Team.
“Anyone with concerns or questions is encouraged to approach these officers or call 101 for advice.”
“Brian’s family are still coming to terms with what has happened and continue to be supported by specialist officers. They wish their privacy to be respected.
“Finding who did this is paramount. If you know anything that could help, please do the right thing and speak to police.”
The Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) link has been set up to enable the public to submit information directly to the inquiry team.
You can also call 101, quoting reference number 0884 of Saturday, February 17, 2024. Information can also be shared anonymously through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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