Police have revealed how murder victim Anita Rose walked her dog for more than three miles before she was attacked on a country path and left for dead early in the morning
Ms Rose, 57, died on Sunday morning four days after she was found unconscious with critical head and brain injuries on the path off Rectory Lane, Brantham, Suffolk.
She was captured on doorbell footage at 5am last Wednesday after she and her dog left her semi-detached home in Palfrey Heights, Brantham.
Ms Rose who is believed to have lived with her lorry driver partner Richard Jones headed on to her usual early morning route around a network of tracks and bridleways crossing local farmland.
She was found 90 minutes later at around 6.30am by a man cycling to work on a section of track between a sewage farm and the main Ipswich to London railway line.
If she had been walking at four miles an hour it suggests that she may have been lying injured for more than 30 minutes before being discovered.
A police chief today warned people in the Suffolk countryside to remain ‘vigilant’ as detectives continued to investigate the murder of Ms Rose who is believed to have worked in a garage.
The warning was given as her heartbroken family paid tribute to the mother-of-six and grandmother of 13 children, saying she had been ‘brutally taken from us’.
Ms Rose’s springer spaniel called Bruce was unharmed next to ‘the well known and loved mum’.
The cyclist dialled 999 for an ambulance and tried to assist Ms Rose with the help of a woman who passed by a few moments later.
Paramedics treated her at the scene before she was transferred by road ambulance to a specialist head injuries unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.
She remained sedated and fighting for life with members of her family at her bedside before she died on Sunday morning after apparently being unable to talk to police.
Police initially said they looked for her missing iPhone and a pink zip-up jacket which she was filmed wearing by a doorbell camera after leaving her home at around 5am.
A 45-year-old man who was said to be unknown to her was arrested on suspicion of her attempted murder on Saturday, and later re-arrested on suspicion of murder after she died.
A 37-year-old woman from the Ipswich area was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of handling stolen goods. Police said her arrest was ‘in connection with the incident’.
The pair – who were quizzed at a Police Investigation Centre in Martlesham Heath near Ipswich – were later released on police bail until October 25, pending further inquiries.
Police revealed they had recovered Ms Rose’s iPhone, but the search for her pink jacket was continuing on Monday.
Teams of officers with sticks were seen searching a field of wild flowers near where she was found on a section of track at the bottom of a slope between a sewage works and the main Ipswich to London railway line.
The area is close to the River Stour and borders the so-called Constable Country area immortalised by the early 19th century painter who was born in nearby East Bergholt.
Ms Rose’s son Ash Rose posted an appeal on Facebook for the public to help police with their investigation.
He wrote: ‘The person responsible for doing this to my mum and my children’s Granma is still out there!
‘Our family appreciates the kind words but please, please SHARE and SPEAK to friends or family who may know something no matter how small or insignificant they think it might be and please urge them to contact the police. Thank you.’
Ms Rose’s partner Richard Jones posted: ‘This was my beautiful Anita absolute heartbroken love you always and forever in my heart.’
A tribute from her children released by police said: ‘Our mum was well known and loved in the community.
‘She was brutally taken from us devastatingly too early, and we have been robbed of so much time with her.
‘She wasn’t just a mum of six, she was also a grandma to 13, a long-term partner, a mother-in-law and a special friend to so many.
‘Someone somewhere must know something, and we urge them to come forward. We want to thank everyone for their love and support. All we ask is for everyone to cherish their time with their family and loved ones.’
Detective Superintendent Mike Brown of Suffolk Police appealed for information from anyone, including passengers on passing trains heading to and from Ipswich, if they saw anything suspicious.
Officers have also asked for help from anyone with doorbell footage or CCTV in the area, and are liaising with British Transport Police
He said that the assistance received by the police from the public and the media had so far been ‘absolutely key to the investigation’.
Detective Superintendent Brown added: ‘Residents will continue to see an additional police presence and officers patrolling and engaging in the area over the coming days as our investigation continues.
‘I recognise that many people will feel concerned, but I can reassure you that we are working hard to identify what has taken place and this investigation is a priority for the constabulary.
‘If people are concerned about going for a walk, I would advise them to remain vigilant, to tell someone where you are going, what time you are expected to be back and let them know when you are home.’
‘Anita’s family continue to be supported by specially trained officers as part of the investigation and we appreciate that this is a very difficult time for them at the moment, and therefore I would ask people not to speculate on social media about this incident.
‘Information from the public is always a key part of an investigation, and I am again appealing for any information about the whereabouts of Anita’s pink jacket.
‘We know that Anita was wearing a pink zip-up jacket which we believe she had on immediately prior to the incident.
‘This missing jacket is described as being made of waterproof material and is believed to be from an outdoor clothing brand, possibly Regatta.’
He added: ‘I am extremely grateful for the support the community and the media have given us so far. This assistance we receive is absolutely key.’
The track where Ms Rose was attacked is popular with local dog walkers and used by others as a short cut, avoiding the main road through Brantham.
Police are asking that anyone with information to contact Suffolk Police quoting 37/41580/24 via: MIPP Portal: Public Portal (mipp.police.uk), or phone tel. 101