JO Farrell insists the botched handling of the probe into the death of Brian Low isn’t typical of cops who operate in Scotland’s rural areas.
Cops had initially deemed the 65-year-old’s death on Saturday February 17 on the outskirts of Aberfeldy, Perthshire, as non-suspicious.
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But days later they had to return to the crime scene when pathologists discovered he’d been blasted to death by a shotgun.
The stunning revelation sparked ongoing investigations by the Police Standards Department and Police Investigation and Review Commissioner.
Both probes are running alongside the hunt for the mystery killer with no motive yet established.
Ms Farrell insisted the apparent failure to notice Mr Low had been murdered was not typical.
The Chief Constable, 55, said: “It is not a response that typifies Police Scotland and its ability and the expertise and professionalism of our officers.
“It’s subject of an investigation by the independent watchdog of policing so it’s not something I can talk about in detail or speculate about unfortunately.”
Asked if she had made contact with Mr Low’s family, she said: “I haven’t spoken to them.
“They are being supported by our family liaison officers and the investigation into the murder is ongoing.”
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We told how cops probing the shooting have yet to make a breakthrough more than two months on.
Detectives revealed they have searched 500 buildings and watched 2,400 hours of CCTV footage.
But the massive manhunt has drawn a blank – amid intense pressure after officers initially wrongly said he had died of natural causes.
We first revealed police had launched a murder probe when they issued an appeal for witnesses through the media on February 27 – ten days after the killing.
They later said at a tense press conference the initial assessment at the scene didn’t reveal anything suspicious.
It was only later after a post mortem that red flags were raised, sparking a rush back to the crime scene which had remained open to the public for days on end.
Detective Superintendent Lorna Ferguson later said 31 officers are working on the investigation – carrying out inquiries at 478 homes and analysing information from around 800 questionnaires.
In a fresh plea for information, she said: “We are committed to tracing the person responsible and have detectives from our Major Investigations Teams across the country assisting local officers.
“We understand the significant impact this has had on the local community and thank everyone for their help so far.
“I am confident that key information in this investigation lies within the local community. Somebody knows something.
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“Even if you feel the information you hold is not important, we still ask you to contact us. It could be crucial.”
Police Scotland has also set up a Major Incident Public Portal which can be accessed online.