At 5.45pm on Friday, January 11 2008, the body of 77-year-old Georgina Edmonds was found in her home in Kiln Lane by her son and a family friend. Post Mortem results revealed that Mrs Edmonds died as a result of extensive head injuries.
A murder investigation was launched by Hampshire Constabulary’s Major Crime Department and officers continue to appeal for information and search for evidence to help find the person or people responsible for this crime.
There is a £30,000 reward available which officers hope will encourage people to come forward with information.
Quick links:
Two year anniversary appeal
Examples of calls from the community
Picture of man wanted for the murder of Georgina Edmonds
£30,000 reward
Missing property
You Tube appeal
Crimewatch
Contact us
Update issued on two year anniversary - January 11, 2010 - Police follow two new lines of enquiry: The investigation has now taken a new direction with two new lines of enquiry being followed.
Officers have made a significant breakthrough in the investigation to identify the killer, as a result of forensic evidence that has been recovered from the scene of the murder.
This forensic information has been made available as a result of many months of painstaking forensic work using new forensic testing techniques. In the coming weeks officers will be making contact with a number of people who have been identified from police enquiries or nominations from the public and asking to take DNA mouth swabs to compare with the forensic evidence recovered from the scene in order for them to be eliminated. Officers will be focusing their enquiries on people who lived, worked or were associated with the Eastleigh and Boyatt Wood areas in January 2008.
The second line of enquiry will see officers appealing directly to the community of Eastleigh and Boyatt Wood who detectives think can solve this crime by identifying the killer. Officers believe that the man responsible for Mrs Edmonds' murder has a strong connection to a specific area of the Eastleigh and Boyatt Wood. He may live or have lived there, worked there, or could have friends, family or a partner living in the area.
Officers are appealing directly to those who live, have lived in, or have knowledge of the area to come forward and speak to us if they have any information that could be connected to the investigation, whether they know anyone matching the description of the offender who has a connection to the area and uses the cash point at Tesco Express in Twyford Road, if they saw a man with a florescent jacket in the area on the day of the murder, or if they have any other information. The killer, who is the man using the cash machine at Tesco Express, is described as being at least 5ft 11ins, wearing light blue jeans and white trainers. Anyone nominated as a result of the appeal will be vested and asked to provide a DNA mouth swab in order for comparison with the forensic evidence recovered from the scene.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Barton, said: “It is clear that the community are appalled by this incident and still want to help us catch this man. We have received hundreds of calls and two years on people are still continuing to give us information, with 13 calls received in July, four in August, seven in September, two in October and two in November. Each piece of information we receive is looked into by a member of the investigation team and helps us build up a bigger picture of the area and what happened leading up to, during, and after January 11 2008.
"We urge people to continue giving information. The discovery of forensic evidence is a significant development in the investigation. Do you know anyone who matches the description of the killer who has a connection to the Eastleigh and Boyatt Wood area? All you need to do is pick up the phone and give us their name and we can then ascertain whether or not they are connected to this incident. If they are not connected they can easily be ruled out, so please do not worry. You can pass names directly to us or anonymously through the Crimestoppers number on 0800 555 111. A £30,000 reward is still available and just by giving a name through us or anonymously through Crimestoppers, this money could be yours.
"We believe that the people living or working in the Eastleigh and Boyatt Wood area hold the key to solving this horrific crime. We appeal to people living and working in this area to report any suspicions they have regarding the identity of the killer. "Although the information we have received has not yet led us to the killer, it has all helped us gather more information about the incident and open up new lines of enquiry. I would urge people to continue assisting us in this way, your help is greatly valued and together we can catch the killer."
Click here to read the statement written by Mrs Edmonds' daughter, Doddie Edmonds, on the two year anniversary.
Click here to the read the statement written by Mrs Edmonds' son, Harry Edmonds, on the two year anniversary.
Click here to read about some of the calls we've recieved from members of the community and what we have done with their information.
WANTED for the murder of Georgina Edmonds: At 10.40pm on Friday, January 11 2008 the killer attempted to use Mrs Edmonds' cashcard at the cash machine at Tesco Express, Twyford Road, Eastleigh. The killer is described as being at least 5ft 11ins, wearing a yellow fluorescent jacket, light blue jeans and white trainers.
Do you know who this is? Do you know anyone who matches the description and has a connection to the Eastleigh and Boyatt Wood area? If you do, please contact us.
Reward: Simon Theobalds, the Crimestoppers charity Project Manager in Hampshire, said: “If you don’t want to talk to the police, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously at any time of the day or night by phone or encrypted email.
“Crimestoppers' information leads to 19 arrests every day across the UK with a murderer arrested every four days. With well over a million calls since the charity was launched 22 years ago, no ones’ identity has ever been compromised. The system for paying rewards also protects the anonymity of our contacts. No one will know you phoned and no one will know who claimed the reward.”
Update issued on July 2, 2009: On what would have been Mrs Edmonds' 79th birthday (July 2, 2009), police are continuing to appeal for information by releasing an appeal video. The five minute video has been placed on The Southern Daily Echo website, YouTube and Hampshire Constabulary's Facebook page. It features CCTV footage of the unknown man attempting to use Mrs Edmonds’ cash card and Detective Chief Inspector Paul Barton being interviewed by the Daily Echo’s Crime Reporter, Jenny Makin, about the key points in the investigation so far, as well as news clips from ITV Meridian’s coverage of the incident, and footage from the BBC Crimewatch appeal.
Click here to read the statement made by Detective Chief Inspector Paul Barton on the day the video was released
To view the video on YouTube, click here. To view the video on the Daily Echo website, click here, or visit www.dailyecho.co.uk. To view the video on Facebook, click here, or visit www.facebook.com/hampshireconstabulary.
Crimewatch appeal: Officers leading the investigation into the murder of Georgina Edmonds made a national appeal through Crimewatch on Wednesday, November 19 2008, to generate more information that could lead to Mrs Edmonds’ killer. During that evening, officers recieved around 50 phone calls and are encouraged that people are still coming forward with information. To view the reconstruction, click here, or visit www.bbc.co.uk/crimewatch.
Missing Items: A number of personal items belonging to Mrs Edmonds were discovered missing after her body was found. Police are still keen to trace these:
- A brightly coloured, red, yellow and green key fob
- A Lloyds cheque book and cash card
- A black Radley handbag with a green or turquoise Radley Scottish terrier logo badge attached to it
- A silver credit card holder
Can you help?
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Operation Columbian invesitgation team on 101 or call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111. Mini-Com users can call 01962 875000. Alternatively information can be emailed to operation.columbian@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
