Doris Shelley: Police lead in Martlesham 1993 murder case ruled out

An "interesting line of inquiry" in the investigation into an unsolved murder of an 82-year-old woman has been ruled out, police said.

Doris Shelley was attacked with a blunt instrument and kicked and punched at her bungalow in Martlesham, Suffolk.

She was found by a neighbour on 11 February 1993 and died 11 days later.

Suffolk Police received a small number of calls following a 25th anniversary appeal last year, but said nothing came of a potentially "interesting" lead.

The fatal assault happened just over 18 months after widow Mrs Shelley was the victim of a violent robbery at her home.

Police said £12,637 was stolen from her bungalow on that occasion and during the second incident the offender was "looking for valuables to take".

Other cold case murder inquiries:

Cold case manager Andy Guy had said the 25th anniversary appeal had led to "one interesting line of inquiry" in March 2018.

A year on, a Suffolk Police spokesman said it "didn't take us further forward" and "there is nothing new to add at this stage".

The force would not provide details of what the "interesting line of inquiry" was.

The original investigation saw 70 officers working on the case, a £10,000 reward for information and a BBC Crimewatch appeal, but despite several arrests no-one has ever been charged.

As part of the 25th anniversary case review, police looked again at 397 exhibits taken during the original investigation.

These included household objects which might have been touched by the offender, Mrs Shelley's clothing and items taken from people under arrest.