UK - Brian Low, 65, shot while walking dog, Aberfeldy, 17th February 2024

[hiraethofthestars]

this is my first thread, I’ve followed the instructions but I apologise if I’ve messed it up.

Murder inquiry launched following the death of a man in Aberfeldy - Police Scotland

A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a 65-year-old man in Aberfeldy.

www.scotland.police.uk

‘A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a 65-year-old man in Aberfeldy.

Around 8.30am on Saturday, 17 February, 2024, Brian Low, of Aberfeldy, was fatally shot as he walked his dog in the Pitilie area on the outskirts of the town.

Emergency services attended and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following a post mortem examination, Brian's death is being treated as murder and detectives are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
"Our enquiries have so far have revealed that Brian was out walking his black Labrador along a remote track, shortly before 8.30am when he was fatally shot.
Although this is a remote location, we would be keen to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time.”’


It’s interesting that they have only treated it as murder now, 10 days later - imo. Will be following this case.

The police have set up a major incident public portal for information: Public Portal

 

[Jockolad]

I am intrigued by this case also.

it must have been obvious when found that he had been shot. I am wondering if the initial thoughts were a suicide, with the gun still in the vicinity, but that opinion chnaged for reasons as yet unknown.

The 10 day delay is a strange and unusual feature.

Poor guy.

 

[StillDiggin]

A DOG walker who was shot dead in broad daylight had previously worked as a groundsman on a millionaire financier's shooting estate.

Brian Low, 65, who was found with fatal gunshot wounds in Aberfeldy on 17 February, worked on the controversial estate which has been at the centre of at least four police investigations.

Tributes paid to financier's former groundsman shot dead while walking his dog

A DOG walker who was shot dead in broad daylight had previously worked as a groundsman on a millionaire financier’s shooting estate. Brian Low, 65, who was found with fatal gunshot wounds in …

www.thescottishsun.co.uk

Dog walker, 65, shot dead in remote Scottish woods

Brian Low, 65, was shot in the Pitilie area on the outskirts of Aberfeldy, Perthshire, at around 8.30am on Saturday February 17, police said.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Jockolad]

Updates today would suggest that a gunshot wound was not obvious until the post mortem as it was supposed that he had died as the consequence of a medical episode.

Could an air rifle pellet kill someone? I can’t think how else an entry wound would not be identified early on.

 

[touch]

From this link (behind paywall): Aberfeldy murder: What we know so far about shooting of dog walker

It says:
"Police say Mr Low was walking his black Labrador at around 8.30am on Saturday February 17 when he was shot."
"The Scottish Ambulance Service said it received a call to attend the Pittiely Burn area at 8.34am."
"However, Mr Low was pronounced dead at the scene."
"Police have not revealed who raised the alarm and whether anyone in the area heard the shooting taking place."

It's said this was a "remote" path but somebody called an ambulance just a few minutes after he was shot. Also, whoever called 999 presumably didn't see it happening otherwise they would have described the situation and police wouldn't have taken 10 days to declare it a murder?

The timeline is really odd here!

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

If the shooting was an accident (poacher or something similar) it's possible the shooter called an ambulance without reporting what had actually happened. Or perhaps Mr Low made the call.

If it was something like a small-calibre rook rifle (rare, but still used by some people) it would potentially leave a tiny entrance wound.

 

[hiraethofthestars]

Police Scotland have published an update, mostly the same information but I think this is new (?):

“Mr Low’s death was initially assessed as being non-suspicious and medical-related, but following a medical examination it was established he had injuries consistent with being fatally shot.

The Major Investigation Team were then contacted and a two-doctor post-mortem examination was scheduled.

A postmortem examination took place on Friday, 23 February, 2024, which confirmed Mr Low had been fatally shot. A murder inquiry was launched immediately after”

Officers continue to carry out enquiries following murder of Brian Low - Police Scotland

Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team are continuing to carry out extensive enquiries in the Aberfeldy area following the murder of Brian Low.

www.scotland.police.uk

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Pittiely (or Pitilie) Burn is a stream that runs through both open fields and dense woodland. Depending on exactly where Mr Low was found, it could be deliberate, but I think a hunting accident is also possible:

Pitilie Pods · Crieff Rd, Aberfeldy PH15 2EL, United Kingdom

âââââ · Camping cabin

www.google.com

 

[hiraethofthestars]

I have tried to work out the location where Brian was found. I believe I have found the rough area, but I can’t narrow it down further than that.


You can see in this picture from the news (Police took six days to carry out post-mortem on murdered dogwalker), that there is a wooden sign reading Pitilie, with some police tape, and a single track road leading down on the left.


I have found this location on Google maps. Google Maps




What is interesting to me is that although it is a remote area, there are houses down the aforementioned road. Duntaggart Road End · Bus stop



Now of course I don’t know exactly where he was found - I assume not on this road, but I wonder just how close to the houses he was. Saying that, with it being remote, it may be the case that if someone did hear a gunshot, it wasn’t concerning - I don’t live close to Aberfeldy, but I do live in the Scottish countryside, and I wouldn’t be alarmed at the sound of a gunshot, it is quite common to have someone in nearby fields shooting at geese for example.

IMO MOO for all of this of course.

 

[Kaykedi]

Who would know that Mr Low would be walking his dog there, and, at that time? Also, I wonder how many other people walked their dogs on this lane?
I note he worked at the Edradynate Estate in Perthshire for around 20 years and retired in February 2023. Just the mind goes to could this gentleman have seen something he shouldn't? MOO

 

[SMK777]

Who would know that Mr Low would be walking his dog there, and, at that time? Also, I wonder how many other people walked their dogs on this lane?

Could it have been an accident from negligence, and the person didn’t want to admit for fear they’d be charged?

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I have tried to work out the location where Brian was found. I believe I have found the rough area, but I can’t narrow it down further than that.


You can see in this picture from the news (Police took six days to carry out post-mortem on murdered dogwalker), that there is a wooden sign reading Pitilie, with some police tape, and a single track road leading down on the left.
View attachment 486996

I have found this location on Google maps. Google Maps

View attachment 486999


What is interesting to me is that although it is a remote area, there are houses down the aforementioned road. Duntaggart Road End · Bus stop

View attachment 487000

Now of course I don’t know exactly where he was found - I assume not on this road, but I wonder just how close to the houses he was. Saying that, with it being remote, it may be the case that if someone did hear a gunshot, it wasn’t concerning - I don’t live close to Aberfeldy, but I do live in the Scottish countryside, and I wouldn’t be alarmed at the sound of a gunshot, it is quite common to have someone in nearby fields shooting at geese for example.

IMO MOO for all of this of course.

I definitely think you've found the location of the police tape, though the tape could have been closing off the entire track at both ends, and Mr. Low could have been almost anywhere in that vicinity.

What I will say is that it's much less "remote" than I was expecting. Only about one mile from the town, and within a few hundred yards of numerous houses and farm buildings. It does look like the kind of area where you might find poachers, or even farmers shooting. And early morning would be as likely time as any for them to be out hunting.

But given Mr Low's previous job, who knows what kind of enemies he could have unwittingly (or wittingly) made.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Based on the video in The Sun's story (Link) and the images in The Daily Mail's story (Link) I think Mr Low was most likely found somewhere in or near the triangular wooded area shown in @hiraethofthestars' image, very close to the police tape:

 

[touch]

I think it's a bit further down that track. From the video on The Sun's link at 24 seconds in you can see the small wind turbine in the distance then it pans round to show where the police vehicles are parked. From other sources there's a few photos of the forensics tent set up which seems to be on the path rather than off into woods or fields.

My arrows on the map are:
Red - main road junction with police tape as posted by @hiraethofthestars
Blue - small wind turbine
Green - police vehicles seen parked in video
Yellow - my estimate of where the forensics tent might be

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I think it's a bit further down that track. From the video on The Sun's link at 24 seconds in you can see the small wind turbine in the distance then it pans round to show where the police vehicles are parked. From other sources there's a few photos of the forensics tent set up which seems to be on the path rather than off into woods or fields.

My arrows on the map are:
Red - main road junction with police tape as posted by @hiraethofthestars
Blue - small wind turbine
Green - police vehicles seen parked in video
Yellow - my estimate of where the forensics tent might be

Yes, I think you're right! I hadn't even noticed the wind turbine in the video; if there's only one turbine in the area, it has to be that. I also thought it looked like the track was at a much more acute angle where it came off the road, so I was looking for a more triangular-shaped field boundary.

They must have sealed off the entire road from the A826. Which was probably a bit too late six+ days after the killing.

 

[StillDiggin]

Aberfeldy shooting: Timeline of events in Brian Low murder

A closer look at the often confusing developments following the death of the 65-year-old.

www.thecourier.co.uk

 

[touch]

Aberfeldy shooting: Timeline of events in Brian Low murder

A closer look at the often confusing developments following the death of the 65-year-old.

www.thecourier.co.uk

Thanks for that. I think this might be an important quote from the police, which I've not seen reported elsewhere yet:
"They also confirmed they did not believe it could have been an accident"

 

[shadwell]

Thanks for that. I think this might be an important quote from the police, which I've not seen reported elsewhere yet:
"They also confirmed they did not believe it could have been an accident"

I can only suppose at this stage that a hunting accident is ruled out on the basis of the bullet(s) recovered. Between that and the initial difficulty spotting that he had been shot, my current guess would be a small calibre handgun. As to the location of the wound, difficult to say - inside the mouth could go unnoticed, but would (IMO) point towards a targeted killing, which police say they are yet to establish with certainty. Otherwise, side on through the armpit into the chest?

 

[shadwell]

Former employee of notorious Edradynate Estate shot dead – Police launch murder inquiry

Police Scotland has launched a murder enquiry following the shooting of Brian Low, 65, who was out walking his dog on a remote track in Aberfeldy, Perthshire on 17th February 2024 (see here). Mr Lo…

raptorpersecutionuk.org

 

[shadwell]

As to the delay in recognising the bullet wound - it’s unusual, but not unknown. John “Goldfinger” Palmer’s gunshot wounds were initially mistaken for scars from keyhole surgery and not properly identified until six days after his death.

'Goldfinger' gangster John Palmer gunned down in his garden - but it

www.standard.co.uk