Reward of £20,000 offered to help find grandmother's killer still at large
Rose Johnston, 68, was found dead in her Liverpool home in October after sustaining a serious head injury
A £20,000 reward is being offered to the public to help find the killer of a grandmother who was found dead in her home.
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Rose Johnston, 68, died after sustaining a blunt-force head injury at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on Saturday October 4, just after 12.30pm.
Merseyside Police are now urging for new information to help with their investigation and say detectives are "keeping an open mind" about what happened.
Officers have carried out CCTV, door-to-door, forensic, and witness enquiries but so far have not been able to trace any successful leads.
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Crimestoppers are now offering a £20,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest of those responsible for the murder.
Merseyside Police detective chief inspector Catherine Walsh said: "Someone must have answers and I urge them to come forward and speak to us.
"Rose was a loving and caring mum and grandma, and her family are absolutely devastated by what’s happened.
"I'’s absolutely vital that we get the answers to understand what has happened to Rose."
The force is appealing for information from anyone who saw her, or anyone acting suspiciously, in the area of her home on Ancroft Road between October 3, when she was last seen in the early hours, and the following day.
In a tribute released following her death, her family described Mrs Johnston, an adult education tutor who volunteered with people with special educational needs, as 'kind, caring, compassionate, friendly, unassuming and gentle."
The family said: "We just can’t understand who would want to hurt her this way."
Gary Murray, North West regional manager at Crimestoppers, added: "Rose was a caring and generous woman who dedicated her life to her family and to others.
"Her murder has shocked the local community and her family deserve answers. We know that people often stay silent if they know something about serious crime like this out of fear or because they don’t want to get involved.
"But Crimestoppers offers a completely safe and anonymous way to speak up. You can contact our charity, which is independent of the police and will never be asked about your personal details.
"We can’t trace your call or online form, and you’ll remain 100 per cent anonymous. That means no comeback.
"If you know what happened to Rose, or have suspicions about who is responsible, please let us know."
The reward is available for information received exclusively by Crimestoppers.