Police investigating dog walker murder in Brantham continue appeal after speaking to 600 people

Credit: Suffolk Police/Richard Jones

Brantham dog attack Anita Rose murder investigation
Anita Rose, 57, was on a dog walk when she was attacked and found unconscious on 24 July. Credit: Suffolk Police

Police investigating the death of a dog walker are continuing to appeal for information after speaking to more than 630 people.

Detectives are still investigating after Anita Rose, 57, was found unconscious on a rural path in Brantham, Suffolk, at around 6.25am on 24 July.

She had been walking her dog and was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with head and face injuries. She died four days later.

On Sunday, police had identified two new locations of interest in the Newmill Lane area, and cordoned them off. They lifted those cordons on Thursday afternoon.

But they say they are still looking for information from members of the public - and for her pink zip-up rain jacket, believed to be from an outdoor clothing brand, possibly from Regatta.

The pink Regatta jacket Anita Rose was wearing on the dog walk was taken and has not been found Credit: Suffolk Police/PA

Det Supt Mike Brown said: "All police cordons in the village have now been lifted, however we are continuing our inquiries including CCTV and data analysis, forensic work and collating messages and statements received.

“Over the last two weeks, we have spoken to more than 630 people, including as part of house-to-house inquiries, and as a result of this approximately 90 statements have been taken.

"We have also received more than 150 messages via our major investigation public portal and continue to appeal for anyone with information to come forward.”

A map showing the route Anita Rose took before she was attacked. Credit: Suffolk Police

On the day she was attacked, Ms Rose is believed to have followed one of her usual dog walking routes: starting around 5am at Palfrey Heights, where she turned onto a track road off Brooklands Rise which she 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 and retracing her steps up to Ipswich Road.

Police are keen to speak with anyone who may have seen Ms Rose - 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 her body was found.

Anyone with information about suspicious people or vehicles seen in the area are urged to get in touch.

A Home Office post-mortem examination was carried out last week, but a cause of death has not been identified.

Police have arrested and bailed three people, two on suspicion of murder and one on suspicion of handling stolen goods.


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