Vera Holland murder in Reading: family appeal 30 years on, killer still free
Vera Holland, 47, was strangled in Reading in November 1996 and her killer has never been found. Her family and Thames Valley Police are urging witnesses to come forward.
Family renews plea for justice three decades after Reading strangling
The family of Vera Holland, murdered in Reading 30 years ago, have made a fresh public appeal for witnesses to contact police, bbc.co.uk reports.
Holland, 47, left her home in St Barnabas Road on 14 November 1996 to buy food from a KFC on Shinfield Road. She never returned. Two days later, her body was discovered on a fly-tip near the Thames Water pumping station on the A327 between Arborfield and Shinfield — roughly three miles from her home. She had been strangled.
Her daughter Dawn Bennett, speaking on behalf of the family, said Holland's death continues to cast a shadow over their lives. "She was robbed of the chance to watch her grandchildren grow, and those born after her death never got to experience her boundless love and affection," Bennett said.
Holland was described as a "devoted" mother of three and a "very proud grandmother of seven". Bennett added: "Someone out there knows exactly what happened to our mum. I implore you to come forward and contact the police with any piece of information, no matter how small."
She described the past three decades as "an agonisingly long time to wait for justice, especially while the person responsible has been allowed to carry on living their life freely".
Investigators from Thames Valley Police (TVP) believe Holland never made it to the KFC. CCTV footage from the restaurant showed no sign of her. She was last seen wearing a pink coat, a green tartan shirt, a black jumper and black shoes — none of which have ever been recovered.
Peter Beirne, from TVP's Major Crime Review Team, said the passage of time may have changed the circumstances of those with knowledge of the killing. "There may be someone who thought a piece of information was insignificant at the time, someone who was frightened to come forward, or someone whose loyalties have changed over the years," he said.
Beirne appealed directly to anyone who held back in 1996. "Relationships change, friendships end and circumstances change. You may have felt it was impossible to share information then — but you can now come forward. The time has come to tell us what you know."
TVP's neighbourhood policing team is distributing leaflets and posters across the local area in the coming days as part of the renewed appeal.
Anyone with information is asked to call Thames Valley Police on 101, quoting reference number 0529 (6/11), or to email [email protected].
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)