Brian McKandie murder: Brother appeals for information

Police have released an image of Brian McKandie in a bank in Turriff the day before he was found dead

The brother of murder victim Brian McKandie has made an emotional plea for anyone with information about his death to come forward.

The 67-year-old was found at Fairview Cottages in Badenscoth, Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire on Saturday 12 March.

Police have described the murder as "brutal" and said a "heavy weapon" was used.

Speaking at a press conference, William McKandie said "somebody somewhere must know what happened to Brian".

Earlier police divers searched a small stream near the victim's home.

Detectives have also released an image showing Mr McKandie at a bank in Turriff on 11 March.

Willam McKandie said someone must know what happened to his brother

His brother said the death had come as a "terrible shock" to the family.

Mr McKandie added: "My sister and I are now left with questions about why someone would hurt him. What did they want?

"He was a 67-year-old man who lived alone and worked hard as a self-employed mechanic and was friendly to anyone who spoke to him. How could someone do this to him?

"I would ask that if anyone thinks they have information about what happened to my brother - they might have seen something or heard something - to contact police.

"We are finding this whole situation really hard to come to terms with. We have lost our brother and we just want to know what happened and why."

Officers have been carrying out further forensic searches in the area around the murder scene.

Two men were reportedly seen speaking to Mr McKandie between 13:00 and 14:00 on the Friday before his body was found.

One of the men was said to be in his 50s and heavy set. The other was a younger man.

They were beside a burgundy or maroon estate car, possibly a Saab or Volvo.

Officers have also appealed for two men seen talking to Mr McKandie between 17:00 and 18:00 on the Friday. One was described as in his 20s, and the other in his 30s or 40s.

'Deeply upsetting'

Detective Ch Insp Iain Smith said: "This type of crime is highly unusual in the North East, but especially all the more rare in a rural community in Aberdeenshire, such as this.

"We have a dedicated team investigating this incident plus the assistance of a number of specialist officers and departments, however information from the public will be key to us solving this case."

He also appealed for motorists with dashboard camera footage to come forward.

Mr Smith said it had been a "shocking" crime for the local community and "deeply upsetting" for Mr McKandie's family.

"Brian's brother and sister are obviously desperate for us to catch whoever has done this to their brother so they can get the answers they want and start to try to come to terms with what has happened," he added.