Janet Brown (murder victim)

There was no evidence of sexual assault, and police stated that they remain open-minded regarding the motive.[1]

A prominent theory was that the murder was a result of a bungled burglary.[6] The intruder had used glass-cutting equipment on the first panel of the doubled glazed patio door, and then simply smashed the second panel. However, although a television and video recorder were unplugged, nothing had been stolen from the house.[6] Most burglaries take place during the day, when there is less likely to be anyone at home.[7] It is unusual for burglars to target properties where someone is obviously inside, and there were two cars parked outside the house.[7] Detective Superintendent Martin Short, who led the investigation, said, "on balance, I don't think the motive was burglary. If a burglar did it, it wasn't a half-decent one."[7]

Police were unable to discover any evidence of an extramarital affair, and considered the scenario as unlikely.[7] Other theories, such as industrial espionage, a failed kidnapping or a contract killing were examined and dismissed.[8]

Police stated their belief that, due to the isolated location of the murder, the perpetrator was most likely a local man who was familiar with the area.[9]

Paul Britton, a forensic psychologist, assisted police with their investigation. Britton posited that although Janet Brown had not been sexually assaulted, the perpetrator may have become aroused by inflicting fear, and dominating his victim, and that this, rather than burglary, may have been his primary motive.[10]

Detective Superintendent Martin Short commented:

There is no theory to explain what happened that night which makes perfect sense. There are aspects of every theory which are contradicted by the facts. And policemen deal in facts. The intruder showed a fair amount of planning. He had an iron bar or truncheon, two types of tape, handcuffs, a glass cutter and probably a torch. I have the gut feeling that it wasn't burglary. He didn't react like a normal burglar. More than 99 percent of burglars would run on hearing an alarm go off. This one not only continued his murderous attack but coolly washed his hands and went upstairs again. We don't know the motive. In most murders, once you've got the motive, then you're a long way to cracking it. There are no indications that Mrs Brown had a boyfriend. Everything points to the fact that she was a respectable woman who doted on her family. Her husband was definitely in Switzerland when she was killed and he had nothing to gain by her death.[8]

By the second anniversary of the murder, 2,700 people have been interviewed by the police.[11]

In 2015 police announced that they had isolated a DNA sample from the crime scene.[1] Almost every male from the surrounding area, over 700 people, were tested, with no match found.[12]

Police are now concentrating on the bungled burglary theory.[12] The chief investigating officer in 2015, Peter Beirne, stated, 'my working hypothesis at the moment is that it was a burglar, or burglars, who weren't particularly proficient. They came across Janet, they had control of her because they handcuffed her, and I think she was bludgeoned to death when she pressed the panic alarm."[12]