Family Appeals For Help To Solve Betty Yates Murder

Betty YatesThe family of Bewdley murder victim Betty Yates today (Monday, 30 January) appealed for people to help the police track down her killer.

Mrs Yates, a retired schoolteacher, was found stabbed to death at her riverside cottage off Dowles Road on Wednesday, 4 January, although police believe she was killed on the evening of Bank Holiday Monday, 2 January.

Her daughter Hazel Costello and son David Yates today spoke directly to the media for the first time about the murder and appealed for people to come forward with information.

Their statement said: "We are of course devastated by the dreadful manner in which our mum met her death at the beginning of this year. 

"We held her funeral on Thursday of last week which was an even sadder affair because we were too fragile to contemplate a gathering beyond immediate family. We would like to apologise to all those people who would have liked to have paid their respects and we promise to hold a memorial service later in the year when our feelings are less raw.

"We are completely bewildered as to who could carry out such a savage attack on our mother. 

"That this should have happened in her home makes this even more difficult to bear.  Our mom and dad searched for many years to find this spot and then built their dream, not just in bricks and mortar.  Our father Ray died almost seven years ago and there was never a possibility in our minds that mom would want to leave the cottage. She was so happy there, it is truly beautiful place filled with shared family memories .

"Our mom was 77 but in the Press we have heard her described as elderly.  Nothing could be further from the truth. Our mum was full of life which makes this even harder to take. She swam most days at a local hotel and was a member of a walking group. 

"She had been a teacher before she retired and she remained in contact with many of her ex-pupils. She always wanted to know how they were getting on.  

"Since dad's death she had busied herself because she missed him.  She joined the University of the Third Age and ran their book club and attended arts sessions.

"She volunteered for the Bewdley Festival and had recently gone back to a local school to help out with listening to kids read.  She was at the heart of the community in Bewdley and we know from all the cards we have had how much she was loved and will be missed.

"We are asked by friends and family what we think about whoever was responsible for killing our mum. 

"This is really difficult because we are at a loss to understand why somebody could do this and what we really need is some kind of explanation.

"It is not just our sadness as a family but our friends and her friends (many of whom we do not know) who have lost somebody who was great fun to be with and a constant support. 

"It is striking how many people have described her as like a second mum and of course we know how much she meant to her ex-pupils, many of whom have sent letters or posted messages on Facebook.

"We spent Christmas together, as we did every year, and mum left us and returned home on the 28^th of December after celebrating her birthday with us that day. 

"The police tell us that they have not traced anybody who visited mum at home either that day or after that so if you called in can you please get in touch as you might have vital information and not even realise it.

"The police have a lot of detail to work through but if you did go to the cottage and see her between December 28 and the Bank Holiday Monday, then it's important you come forward as it could help them rule out certain lines of enquiry and save time. 

"This has been such a hard time for us - to lose your mum is always dreadful but to lose your mum like this when you worry constantly about how frightened she must have been or what she might have felt during such a vicious attack is like a nightmare. 

"At the moment we don't know if it was a burglary or there was another reason. It's possible our mum knew who killed her and this only makes things worse for us.

"Please, if you know anything about this can you come forward. If you have done this then please hand yourselves in. And if you are protecting somebody, please think about how we are hurting and tell the police what you know."

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson, who is leading the inquiry, reiterated that it was vital that anyone who had visited Betty Yates's cottage, Riverscroft, between 28 December and 2 January contacted detectives working on the case.

"This is a massive inquiry and knowing who else has been at the cottage other than Mrs Yates, even if someone just popped in for a moment, could prevent officers wasting time and resources that could be focused on other parts of the investigation.

"We are as determined as ever to track down the person or people responsible for this dreadful murder and we will not stop until we have achieved that. However we still need people to provide us with information. Several people have already come forward to say they saw vehicles or people in Dowles Road between the times we are focusing on, 2pm to midnight on Bank Holiday Monday, 2 January, and there were also sightings of people on the river banks in that area.

"We need those people who were there and have not already spoken to us to get in touch so that we can eliminate them from our inquiries.

"No-one could fail to be moved by what we have heard from the family today and I would again urge anyone holding back information to pick up the phone now.

"I would also like to remind everyone that a reward of up to £10,000 has been offered by Crimestoppers for anyone who contacts the independent charity anonymously on 0800 555 111 and passes on information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for killing Betty Yates."

The Major Incident Room at Stourport Police Station can be reached on 0300 333 3000.

Issued: Monday, 30 January 2012