A neighbour found Angus MacLean dead in his farmhouse in Inverness County on Dec. 8 (CBC)

Police have charged a Port Hood, N.S., man with first-degree murder in the death of 82-year-old Angus MacLean.

James Edison Spears, 60, is in custody until his court appearance later this month.

MacLean was found dead in his farmhouse in Colindale, on the western shore of Cape Breton, on Dec. 8. A neighbour found his body and called for help.

RCMP have not said how or when MacLean was killed.

Const. Brad Anderson said Spears was charged on Thursday while he was in RCMP custody in Sackville on an unrelated charge. Anderson wouldn't say what led to the charge after four months.

Neighbours said MacLean was a retired farmer who lived alone. They described him as a kind and independent man who loved animals and enjoyed dancing.

"The community has regularly asked Inverness RCMP members whether they could expect closure in the case, was there a suspect, was there a charge about to be laid," said Anderson.

"It's too early — the information having just been released to the media — to comment on what the reaction to the arrest is, although I would speculate that there would be some relief in the community."

Anderson wouldn't comment on the relationship between the two men.

"At this point in time, I'm not in a position to confirm that there was any relationship between them other than to say that the investigation has determined that this was not a random act of violence," he said.

Police asked for tips and leads from the community to help them catch MacLean's killer. Many seniors said they would be more cautious until then.

Colindale Road, where MacLean lived, is about five kilometres northeast of Port Hood and is dotted with farmhouses.