Daughter’s plea for help to solve mother’s murder 30 years ago
by 0 
A woman whose mother’s murder has been unsolved for 30 years has issued a plea for help in finding her killer.
Mother-of-three Janet Brown, 51, was bludgeoned to death at her home in Radnage, Buckinghamshire, on 10 April 1995.
Thames Valley Police (TVP) has a DNA sample from the scene that they believe belongs to the murderer but does not match anyone on the police database.
More than 1,000 men have been screened and eliminated from the inquiry by the investigation team.
A reward of £20,000 is on offer for information given to Crimestoppers that leads to the arrest and conviction of the killer.
Janet Brown (front, centre left) with her family, including son Benedict Brown (back, far left), husband Grahaem Brown (back, centre right), eldest daughter Zara Harden (front, centre right) and youngest daughter Roxanne Brown (front, far right). Pic: Family handout/TVP
Mrs Brown, a medical researcher at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, was found dead at the foot of the stairs naked, gagged and handcuffed. But detectives believe there was no sexual motive to the killing, and while the house was searched, nothing was stolen.
Mrs Brown’s oldest daughter, Zara Harden, said it was “baffling” why anyone would target her mother, but is convinced “somebody must know something because there would have been a lot of blood”.
“She was handcuffed and beaten badly, literally bludgeoned to death. It doesn’t matter if a person didn’t come forward at the time. It’s not too late,” she added.
Zara Harden wants her mother’s killer found ‘to make sure he does not strike again’. Pic: Family handout/TVP
On the night she was murdered, Mrs Brown’s three children Zara, Benedict and Roxanne were not at home while her husband Dr Grahaem Brown was in Switzerland working.
The killer initially tried to cut a hole in the glass of a double-glazed patio door before smashing his way in. It is believed Mrs Brown was killed between 8.15pm and 10.15pm that night.
Her body was found the following morning by a builder and his son who were due to carry out work at the house.
Mrs Harden said: “Ultimately her killer, or killers, have so far gotten away with it.
“We want to see them prosecuted, and not to have somebody who is extremely dangerous still be out there on the loose… we just want to stop it happening again.”
Peter Beirne from Thames Valley Police wants to compare DNA from potential suspects with samples taken from the scene. Pic: TVP
The head of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Investigation Review Team, Peter Beirne, said: “I still believe there are people who have information or suspicions about this vicious murder.
“We have a DNA profile that was left at the scene. It does not belong to the family, and we believe it could be a vital piece of evidence linking the killer to the scene.
“If you have suspicions, it is very easy for our team to trace and request a DNA sample from the person you suspect, or a relative of theirs if they have perhaps passed away or have emigrated.”
