Fresh DNA evidence has been found at the home of murdered mechanic Brian McKandie.
Officers investigating the 67-year-old's murder, which took place six months ago at his home in Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire, say the DNA profiles are now being checked against Uk and international databases for a potential match.
If no match is found then a mass DNA collection will likely take place around the local area in a bid to identify whose it is.
The discovery was revealed as Mr McKandie's brother, William, made a further appeal for anyone with information on the killing to come forward.
He said: "It has been almost six months since Brian was murdered and it is still incredibly difficult without him especially given the circumstances in which he died.
"Brian was a hardworking, private man and we cannot understand why anyone would want to hurt him.
"He had a quiet and unassuming personality and didn't have a lot of close friends but he had a great many acquaintances and was very well known in the area having lived there his whole life. He was a busy mechanic and he was known for doing a good job and many people came to his property to get work done on their vehicles.
"We would like to directly appeal to the public and in particular to those who knew Brian to contact the police. A small piece of information which may seem irrelevant could make all the difference.
"Somebody must know what happened to Brian and we would ask them to look to their conscience and call the police. We have lost our brother and we just want to know what happened and why."
Mr McKandie, a mechanic who worked from his home, was found dead on Saturday, March 12.
A massive police inquiry has since taken place, with officers gathering more than 1300 statements and the forensic investigation quickly becoming one of the largest in the history of Police Scotland.
Detective Chief Inspector Iain Smith, who is leading the investigation, said a "fairly complicated" crime scene and the need to ensure all evidence is gathered effectively had resulted in a painstaking, "incremental approach" to forensics.
He said: "On the back of all the forensic work that has been undertaken, we have recovered DNA profiles from the crime scene. These have been compared to profiles on Scottish, national and international DNA databases and we are awaiting the results.
"It's still early days, but if we have no success, then we will consider a mass DNA collection around the local area at a later date."
DCI Smith added that detectives have still to establish a motive for the killing - a piece of the puzzle he believes is vital to tracking down the culprits.
"We have uncovered nothing in Mr McKandie's background which would indicate a motive," he said. "Therefore out investigation strategy has been fairly wide.
"We've looked at his business customers and those who would visit him, and even now, six months in, people are still coming forward.
"But there are still individuals who haven't come forward to us and, with all the press coverage the case has received, the question is why aren't these individuals coming forward."
The detective added that potential motives include that the murder may have been a case of mistaken identity or that Mr McKandie may have discovered someone committing a crime and that is why he was killed.
Police are still keen to speak to two men who were seen at his property at Fairview Cottages, Badenscoth, on Friday, March 11, between 1.30pm and 2pm.
The men were in a burgundy or maroon-coloured estate car.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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