Brambridge murder victim Georgina Edmonds was killed with a rolling pin

12:50pm Wednesday 19th November 2008

By Jenny Makin

GRANDMOTHER Georgina Edmonds was battered to death with a marble rolling pin from her kitchen, the Daily Echo can today exclusively reveal.

The horrifying details of how the 77-year-old was left to die locked inside her cottage can be told today as detectives make a nationwide plea to find her killer.

It has been ten months since Mrs Edmonds was murdered in her cottage on the banks of the picturesque River Itchen in Brambridge.

She had first been tortured by whoever went on to murder her – being repeatedly stabbed across the top of her body with a paring knife.

The person or people who carried out the savage attack then left her in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, locking her inside before fleeing the scene.

They took her handbag and its contents, including her mobile phone that was later discovered on the towpath close to her home.

The gruesome discovery of Mrs Edmonds’ body was made on the afternoon of January 11 by her son, Harry Edmonds, who lives in neighbouring Kingfisher Lodge, together with her dog walker Ian Wrightson.

They became suspicious when they couldn’t see the lights on in her home. Tonight’s appeal on the BBC Crimewatch programme will include an interview with Mr Wrightson in which he says: “How someone can actually do that to someone that old, that frail, that kind and gentle...

I mean, you could have pushed her over with a feather. At the end of the day, she didn’t deserve to die like that.”

In the early days of the inquiry they swooped on the ex-offenders’ hostel Elderfield, arresting four people who were later released without charge. Police also flew to Poland on the trail of a man but he has since been ruled out.

Later, more than 300 local convicted criminals were asked to account for themselves on the day of the murder.

Other murders across the country have been examined to see if there are any comparisons but detectives say no other cases are being linked.

Now, as the 11-month anniversary of Mrs Edmonds’ death approaches, detectives leading Operation Columbian are turning to Crimewatch in the hope that it could give them the breakthrough they need.

They fear whoever is responsible could have fled the county – or even the country – because of the intense police activity and media coverage of the crime.

They also speculate that the killer may have bragged to a friend or acquaintance.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Barton said: “The weapons used tend to suggest that the level of violence was not planned, but if that’s the case then it’s extremely worrying.

“Mrs Edmonds was an elderly lady who would have been unable to put up a fight.”

Speaking about the stab wounds to Mrs Edmonds’ body, he added: “We believe she was probably tortured, as we know those injuries did not kill her. They were, however, wounds that would have caused her significant pain.

“The remote location of Fig Tree Cottage is not just somewhere you can stumble across.

I would urge people to stop and think about how people you know were reacting that evening.

“We maintain that there would have been a noticeable change in the behaviour of whoever did this, and their clothing would undoubtedly have been bloodstained.”

Det Chief Insp Barton continued: “The family of Mrs Edmonds, including her two young grandchildren, are facing nearly 11 months with questions unanswered.

“Christmas is coming and it’s important for their sake and for the wider community that this person or people responsible are caught.”