A fundraising campaign has raised thousands of dollars for the family of murdered farmer Richard Wills. (Supplied)

In short:

The family of Richard Wills, who was found buried in a shallow grave on his farm at Easter, says sheep had recently been stolen from his farm.

Police say there is evidence Mr Wills, 65, was dragged behind a vehicle the day he was killed.

What’s next?

A fundraising campaign has been created to support the Ouyen farming family.

The family of Victorian man Richard “Rick” Wills, who was found shot dead on his farm at Easter, does not believe he was the victim of a criminal network of livestock thieves.

Mr Wills, 65, kissed his wife goodbye at 8am on Easter Sunday and went to work on his farm at Ouyen in the state’s far north-west.

His body was found in a shallow grave on April 7, two days later.

Mr Wills’s daughter, Kayla Phillips, said her father had recently reported sheep missing to police and was the victim of sheep theft in recent years.

However, her husband, Ben Phillips, said the family did not believe he had been the victim of a broader criminal group.

Mr Phillips said rumours about any links to a so-called merino mafia were untrue and causing undue stress to the family at a difficult time.

“The sheep theft links are what has annoyed me the most,” he said.

Ms Phillips said the family and the community of Ouyen were still in shock.

“It’s a pretty close-knit farming community and everyone knows everyone,” Ms Phillips said.

“This kind of stuff just doesn’t happen in Ouyen.”

She said her mother, Donna Wills, who had lost a daughter 10 years ago to epilepsy, was feeling “incredibly overwhelmed and sad”.

Ms Wills had earlier described her husband of 32 years as “kind-hearted” and a “workaholic” who would “help anyone” and “give them anything”.

The couple shared five children and had always lived in the small farming town, 100 kilometres south of Mildura.

Richard Wills farmed a property on the Mallee Highway at Ouyen. (ABC News: Nethma Dandeniya)

How it all unfolded

Mr Wills was last seen leaving his Hughes Street home in Ouyen about 8am on Easter Sunday to go to work on his 650-hectare farm on the Mallee Highway.

Family members went to the farm to find him after he did not come home for lunch.

They reported him missing the next day.

Police found his phone and ute on the farm and then discovered his body in a shallow grave about 1:30pm on April 7.

Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Trewavas, from the Missing Persons Squad, said there was evidence Mr Wills had been dragged behind a vehicle on the farm before he was fatally shot.

He said police suspected that a person who knew Mr Wills was responsible.

On Saturday, Victoria Police appealed for public information to help investigators, but no arrests have been made.

Richard Wills was found buried in a shallow grave on his farm on April 7. (Supplied)

Support for family grows

A fundraising campaign has been set up in memory of Mr Wills, with more than $9,240 raised towards a $10,000 goal.

The page said all funds raised would help support a “beautiful family during a difficult time of tragic and sudden loss”.

Ms Phillips said her family was “so grateful” for all of the messages of love and support and offers to help.