Scots artist is murdered in Bulgaria with lover’s ex said to be suspect
AN expat Scottish artist has been shot dead in Bulgaria amid reports he was killed by the ex-husband of the woman he was living with.
Andy Forsythe, who grew up in Ancrum, Roxburghshire, is thought to have been living with a Bulgarian woman in the country’s capital, Sofia, for the past year.
Police discovered his body inside a house in the upmarket suburb of Dragalevtsi on Saturday, August 15.
It is understood detectives are following a definite line of inquiry and that their main suspect is the woman’s ex-husband.
Sources close to the investigation have indicated that the suspect may have fled the country, according to Sofia-based media outlet Novinite.com.
They added that police were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Mr Forsythe’s grieving family and friends have set up an online campaign to raise the £8,000 costs of repatriating his body and to cover the cost of his burial in Ancrum. By last night, it had raised nearly half of its target.
Mr Forsythe, 54, has two daughters, Hayley and Jessie, who live with their mother, Heather MacIntyre Forsythe, in Canada.
The family urged people to support the fundraising site set up in Mr Forsythe’s memory.
The Just Giving page described Mr Forsythe as ‘a man with a big and generous heart. He gave freely of his time to help others; he brought joy to many through his writing and his art. A man of honest principles; a man possessed of great wit and a keen mind. A good man.’
The page added: ‘Andy had a thirst for knowledge of the world and of himself.
‘His curiosity took him from Scotland to Turkey then Bulgaria.
He had been living for much of the past year in its capital city, Sofia.
‘Andy’s wish was that when the time came he would be laid to rest in Ancrum, where he grew up. On behalf of his daughters, Hayley and Jessie, we are trying to raise £8,000 to cover the expenses arising from this tragedy.
‘With this money we can bring Andy’s body home and pay for the funeral itself. There are also legal and other costs likely. Can you help?’
On her Facebook page, Jessie Forsythe posted: ‘For everyone who has been reaching out, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Friends across the pond have set up a fundraiser to help with the expenses which are particularly high due to him being in a foreign country at the time of the incident.
‘If anyone would like to donate or even just share to help it reach as far as possible, we would all be thankful.’ Responsibility for repatriation in the event of a death abroad falls on the family of the deceased, not the UK Government, although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can give assistance on the process.
Mr Forsythe’s friend Sanne Gault, who set up the fundraising page, said: ‘We know very little about the circumstances of Andy Forsythe’s death. We have been told that there is a suspect and that he has fled the country. The Bulgarian police are actively investigating.
‘Until the family know when Andy’s body can be brought back to Scotland they cannot make any funeral arrangements. This has been a tremendous shock for all of Andy’s family and many friends.
‘The British Embassy in Sofia is being very supportive. They are liaising with the Bulgarian authorities as necessary. They will also assist Andy’s family in making the arrangements to repatriate his body for interment in Ancrum.
‘We are very happy with the help we are receiving from the British Embassy in Sofia. We are confident they will ensure the Bulgarian authorities inform us of developments when necessary. We are very hopeful justice will prevail.’
An FCO spokesperson confirmed: ‘We are assisting the family of a British man following his death in Bulgaria.’
‘He gave freely of his time’