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Betty Yates murder: Letters sent to police | Betty Yates murder: Letters sent to police |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Two anonymous letters have been sent to police investigating the murder of a former teacher in Worcestershire. | |
Betty Yates, 77, was found stabbed in her cottage by the River Severn in Bewdley, Worcestershire. | |
West Mercia Police said they were trying to trace the mystery authors of the letters. | |
Police also want to speak to a man in his 20s seen walking near Mrs Yates' cottage on 2 January - the night police believe she was murdered. | |
Det Ch Insp Neil Jamieson said: "We are studying two anonymous letters and I would appeal to the people who wrote those to come forward in case they have any other information that could assist this investigation." | |
Police said they have also been given new information by someone who was driving along a lane close to the scene on the night Mrs Yates was killed. | |
The driver reported seeing man in his 20s wearing a thigh-length dark-coloured jacket walking alone at about 20:30 GMT. | |
Det Ch Insp Jamieson said: "We are keen to speak to that man in the strictest confidence." | |
Police said they have removed the cordon leading from the riverside cottage to Dowles Road after search teams finished combing surrounding fields and woodland. | |
Purse still missing | |
Forensic work will be continuing in the cottage "for some time", police said. | |
Mrs Yates was beaten with her own walking stick and then stabbed in the neck. | Mrs Yates was beaten with her own walking stick and then stabbed in the neck. |
Her walking stick and the knife used have since been recovered. | |
Officers are still searching for Mrs Yates's keys, which were attached to a black, pencil case-sized purse. |