Anita Rose: Murder probe police look for clues to dog walker's killing, two weeks on

Anita Rose was killed after leaving her home at about 5am to walk her dog on Wednesday, July 24. The 57-year-old was found with a serious head injury by a member of the public at about 6.30am and taken to hospital, but died four days later. Police are treating it as murder and have arrested three people so far.

It happened in Brantham, a village in Suffolk near the Essex border.

A Home Office post-mortem examination was conducted on Tuesday, July 30. A cause of death has not been established and will be subject to further tests. Suffolk Constabulary’s Major Investigation Team are investigating it as a murder.

Detectives continue to search for Anita’s pink zip-up jacket which they believe she was wearing immediately prior to the incident. The missing pink zip-up jacket is waterproof and believed to be from an outdoor clothing brand, possibly from Regatta.

Officers have previously arrested and bailed three people in connection with the incident; two on suspicion of murder and one on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

Police say inquiries including forensic work, searches, house-to-house enquiries and CCTV analysis are continuing, and residents can expect to see a officers in the village.

Det Supt Mike Brown said: “It has now been two weeks since Anita was attacked and we continue to work hard to establish the circumstances around her death. The response we have received via our Major Incident Public Portal and questionnaires have been invaluable and it’s important that the public continue to engage with us.

“I strongly encourage anyone with information to please come forward and speak with us, either directly to officers in the village or via our portal. We are particularly interested in hearing about anyone seen in the areas between Newmill Lane and Rectory Lane, near the railway line and the sewage treatment plant, between 6am and 6:30am. If you have information – no matter how insignificant this may seem – we want to hear from you. It could be critical in pursuing and opening up new lines of enquiries.

“We also urge people to please refrain from speculating about the incident, to allow the investigation and any subsequent court proceedings to take place.”

Anita’s route

Her final movements would have followed one of her usual dog walking routes; starting at Palfrey Heights, where she turned onto a track road off Brooklands Rise which she then followed to Rectory Lane, before turning onto The Chase and the A137 Ipswich Road.

From there she would have turned onto Newmill Lane, reaching the river before turning back, retracing her steps up to Ipswich Road. Two further cordons were put in place on Sunday (4 August) at the top and bottom of Newmill Lane as points of interest.

Police are particularly keen to speak with anyone who may have seen Anita - or anyone else - that morning, especially between 6am and 6:30am, from the top of Newmill Lane, off Ipswich Road, to the track road between the railway line and the Anglia Water sewage treatment plant, near Rectory Lane where Anita was found.

Contact the police

Anyone with any information or has any knowledge of the incident that could help the police with their enquiries can contact Suffolk Constabulary, quoting 37/41580/24, on 101.

Information can be given online through the MIPP Portal, and people can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org