Police have renewed their pledge to hunt down the killers of pensioner Thelma Avis who was murdered after conmen duped her in her own home, one year ago this weekend.
The frail pensioner suffered a heart attack and died just hours after bogus callers struck at her house in Barn Hall Avenue, on July 4 last year.
Police are treating her death as murder. A massive operation was launched to track down her killers but they remain on the run. Today, detectives again vowed to catch the 90-year-old's murderers.
The widow died less than four hours after bogus callers visited her home, taking more than £1,000. Her two sons went to comfort her but the pensioner, who had a heart condition, suffered a cardiac arrest later that evening and died.
Det Supt Peter Clarke said: "The file on such a case is never closed and we are still actively engaged on the investigation."
Three men in their late teens were arrested in connection with the pensioner's death but were later released without charge.
Police have reissued the description of the bogus gas man who called at Mrs Avis's home. He was aged 20-30, of medium height, slim to medium build and spoke with a Colchester accent.
He had short, straight, dark brown hair, a sallow complexion and was clean shaven. Police believe he may have grown a beard since to change his appearance.
Anyone with information should phone 01245 452207
Published Friday July 2, 2004
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