UK - Anita Rose, 57, walking her dog, police investigating suspected murder, Brantham, Suffolk, 24th July 2024'

[slowpoke]

How was wanted man Roy Barclay free to kill Anita Rose?

A man is convicted of murdering a dog walker while on Suffolk Police's most wanted criminals list.

www.bbc.co.uk

How was wanted man who left online clues free to kill Anita Rose?​

The man responsible, Roy Barclay, was on a list of Suffolk Police's most wanted criminals but he had managed to avoid being recalled to prison for the past two years by sleeping in makeshift camps.
....
In the weeks that followed, Barclay was described during his Ipswich Crown Court trial as having lived in carefully-hidden camps and shaving his head to change his appearance.

But despite this, Barclay had left a sizeable digital footprint - using his bank card to order items online and leaving hundreds of reviews on Google Maps. He had been wanted by police since 2022, when he breached the terms of his licence by making himself homeless.

Barclay had been jailed in 2015 for the violent, unprovoked assault on an elderly man in an Essex seaside town, and was released on parole in 2020.

After killing Anita, his internet search history showed he had looked up news articles about the attack. He also looked up Anita's partner on social media.
......

Between 2022 and October 2024, he posted thousands of photos of churches, Amazon lockers, libraries, beaches, council buildings, statues and more - earning himself a 'Level 8' contributor status (the highest being level 10).

One review was of Decoy Pond in Brantham, with photos posted between April and July - the month he murdered Anita a short distance away.


Vile specimen. He can Google review prison and it's facilities now.

RIP Anita Rose. Just absolutely cruel and senseless.

I looked up Decoy Pond on Google Maps to seek out Barclay’s review.
I am assuming his is the one by “Roy”. Wow, I hate to admit, but he writes exceptionally well, and sounds totally normal and sane—engaging, even, imo.

His last line of the review: “From a few Ducks to dozens of Mallards at present, I always smile if they swim across to investigate who's visiting 'their' pond...”

Link to Google Map of Decoy Pond. “Roy” was the first review, for me.

Screenshot:

 

[Parker Knoll]

Yes he does write well agreed.
It’s staggering that he’s managed to live off grid for 2 years whilst wanted by the police.
Heads MUST roll for this …. I don’t want to hear about non existent learned lessons either.
Had they returned him to custody Anita would be alive today.

 

[Smccat]

Yes he does write well agreed.
It’s staggering that he’s managed to live off grid for 2 years whilst wanted by the police.
Heads MUST roll for this …. I don’t want to hear about non existent learned lessons either.
Had they returned him to custody Anita would be alive today.

Yes referring to my posted bbc article … especially concerning is the bit about him using bank cards to order stuff ? To be delivered where exactly ? You’d think someone somewhere had them on monitor. Plus where was he getting his cash from ?

 

[Smccat]

The mind boggles

 

[Smccat]

Oh … the Amazon lockers that he reviewed.
I haven’t looked.
Opened well - excellent service. No hassle.
Crazy. IMO.

 

[Grouse]

The tragic final moments of mother-of-six Anita Rose

Anita Rose, 57, was enjoying a stroll near her home in Brantham, Suffolk when she was randomly attacked by Roy Barclay, 56.

mol.im

This is chilling.
The DM have reported the lead was around Anita’s neck in this report not her leg.
Horrendous whatever.

Wow, I hadn't realised he'd followed her like that! Thought from some earlier reports it was due to her passing the water works when he was going through the barbed wire fence to/from one of his illegal camps.

 

[RC80]

Recently discovered this site, though seemingly for the 2nd time having originally registered 10 years ago!

Anyway been following this case closely both on here and in the local news and I'm not sure whether we can trust the Daily Mail not to produce clickbait content in this situation. There is no real timeline as to their images of RB coming and going, they called him "occult-obsessed" yet admit he had distanced himself from that over 20 years ago and then claim he tied the dog lead round her neck, before correcting themselves later on with the lead tied around her leg/foot.

Since he was charged for this I have always questioned what his motive was? Successfully lived off-grid for 2 years despite being on recall to prison, why draw attention to yourself by attacking and murdering an innocent woman? The suggestion that she caught him breaking in to the water plant makes sense after he attacked the gentleman previously when caught taking food. But the Daily Mail implying that he follows her and attacks her just doesn't sit with me.

 

[MollyHarps]

Recently discovered this site, though seemingly for the 2nd time having originally registered 10 years ago!

Anyway been following this case closely both on here and in the local news and I'm not sure whether we can trust the Daily Mail not to produce clickbait content in this situation. There is no real timeline as to their images of RB coming and going, they called him "occult-obsessed" yet admit he had distanced himself from that over 20 years ago and then claim he tied the dog lead round her neck, before correcting themselves later on with the lead tied around her leg/foot.

Since he was charged for this I have always questioned what his motive was? Successfully lived off-grid for 2 years despite being on recall to prison, why draw attention to yourself by attacking and murdering an innocent woman? The suggestion that she caught him breaking in to the water plant makes sense after he attacked the gentleman previously when caught taking food. But the Daily Mail implying that he follows her and attacks her just doesn't sit with me.

Welcome back.

I agree with what you say - I think also if this was a targeted attack as such hed have pushed her into the bushes etc for a bit of privacy (he got incredibly lucky that nobody was walking that path in moments of the attack )

I think she likely saw him doing something he shouldn’t have been doing and questioned it

 

[Grouse]

Recently discovered this site, though seemingly for the 2nd time having originally registered 10 years ago!

Anyway been following this case closely both on here and in the local news and I'm not sure whether we can trust the Daily Mail not to produce clickbait content in this situation. There is no real timeline as to their images of RB coming and going, they called him "occult-obsessed" yet admit he had distanced himself from that over 20 years ago and then claim he tied the dog lead round her neck, before correcting themselves later on with the lead tied around her leg/foot.

Since he was charged for this I have always questioned what his motive was? Successfully lived off-grid for 2 years despite being on recall to prison, why draw attention to yourself by attacking and murdering an innocent woman? The suggestion that she caught him breaking in to the water plant makes sense after he attacked the gentleman previously when caught taking food. But the Daily Mail implying that he follows her and attacks her just doesn't sit with me.

You may be right. Even though it does explicitly state "Minutes later, Roy Barclay is caught on the same CCTV camera walking past the spot Ms Barclay and her pet had been" , the accuracy of MSM has often been questionable.

I would say though, that looking at the two images , details like the bits of straw-like plant material lying in the road look virtually identical which would indicate them being close together in time.

 

[Grouse]

<snipped for focus>
Since he was charged for this I have always questioned what his motive was? Successfully lived off-grid for 2 years despite being on recall to prison, why draw attention to yourself by attacking and murdering an innocent woman?

I'm stating the obvious of course, but IMO it would seem to be severe anger issues rather than any motive as such, as in the previous attack in 2015 triggered when he was challenged about taking food from a skip. In this case possibly triggered by being spotted where he didn't want to be. In both cases, as you say, when he was in some way thwarted (and when the other party was an easy target).

I had a look through his rather copious Google Maps reviews and there are hints of it there too - in one there is a long and angry rant about the "pathetic automated sink/tap/dryer unit" in a public toilet - which no doubt messed up his ablution plans. Google review of Public Toilet by Roy

 

[RC80]

Welcome back.

I agree with what you say - I think also if this was a targeted attack as such hed have pushed her into the bushes etc for a bit of privacy (he got incredibly lucky that nobody was walking that path in moments of the attack )

I think she likely saw him doing something he shouldn’t have been doing and questioned it

Thanks. Yes, this is the way I see it. She caught him doing something he shouldn't and was worried about being reported. I don't think he was concerned about just being seen as such. He visited popular places as per his google reviews and even when arrested he was in Ipswich public library in the centre of town. His google searches on DNA and following the news closely implies to me also that it was a spur of the moment attack.

Not sure about hiding the body though. If he didn't want the dog running away (Concern for the dog or worried about it alerting people sooner) then moving her body out of sight but with a dog tied to her foot would be a bit irrelevant.

 

[Sarahlou]

I think he was looking for a woman to attack. Don't forget he kept her jacket which had his semen on it

 

[RC80]

I think he was looking for a woman to attack. Don't forget he kept her jacket which had his semen on it

The jacket was found several months later in one of his makeshift camps. Could well have been used as bedding for him. He has no history of attacking women and there was no sign of sexual assault to Anita just some items of her clothes taken.

 

[Parker Knoll]

IIRC Anita had had clothing removed which would suggest to me sadly a SA took place.

 

[Grouse]

IIRC Anita had had clothing removed which would suggest to me sadly a SA took place.

Yes, while it might not appear to have been part of his (known) previous MO the removal of the fleece would indicate that element. To think he just fancied taking it for bedding, or to wear (pink), straight after the attack is a bit of a stretch.

 

[Grouse]

I think he was looking for a woman to attack. Don't forget he kept her jacket which had his semen on it

If that premeditation could be proven it would no doubt add to his sentence

 

[Grouse]

<snipped for focus>
There is no real timeline as to their images of RB coming and going,

Timestamped video confirms it was 20 minutes later

Man guilty of murdering Anita Rose in Brantham as she walked dog

ETA: I looked back and this was all discussed up thread around here

 

[RC80]

The prosecution argued the items were taken as trophies. We also know he was concerned about DNA, which seems more plausible than for sexual gratification.

Even the Det Supt admitted "We may never fully understand the motive behind it". Just what did happen for their paths to cross when he was 20 minutes behind her? Did her dog find one of his camps maybe?

 

[sunspun]

I'm stating the obvious of course, but IMO it would seem to be severe anger issues rather than any motive as such, as in the previous attack in 2015 triggered when he was challenged about taking food from a skip. In this case possibly triggered by being spotted where he didn't want to be. In both cases, as you say, when he was in some way thwarted (and when the other party was an easy target).

I had a look through his rather copious Google Maps reviews and there are hints of it there too - in one there is a long and angry rant about the "pathetic automated sink/tap/dryer unit" in a public toilet - which no doubt messed up his ablution plans. Google review of Public Toilet by Roy

Ok I've read through many of his reviews now, thanks to you posting the link! And I'm at a loss for words, because it's certainly not what I was expecting. Virtually flawless writing in terms of grammar, punctuation, even spelling, liberally sprinkled with literary and historical references, namedropping names of noted notables connected to the region, some personal anecdotes and opinions that were surprisingly appropriate and respectable throughout all that I read! I would guess they were written by some retired, well-educated and well-read local, possibly a former professor, researcher, writer or something academic or studious. And I would be wrong! As we now know.

So how was it decided that these reviews by "Roy" were written by the person accused of this hideous crime? Are they sure about that?? Couldn't just be someone with the same name? I'm having a very hard time reconciling that the writer and the accused are the same man. If it is indeed this man accused of murder, how sad that he chose the life of crime when he had talent enough to have been a professional writer, imo.

 

[slowpoke]

Ok I've read through many of his reviews now, thanks to you posting the link! And I'm at a loss for words, because it's certainly not what I was expecting. Virtually flawless writing in terms of grammar, punctuation, even spelling, liberally sprinkled with literary and historical references, namedropping names of noted notables connected to the region, some personal anecdotes and opinions that were surprisingly appropriate and respectable throughout all that I read! I would guess they were written by some retired, well-educated and well-read local, possibly a former professor, researcher, writer or something academic or studious. And I would be wrong! As we now know.

So how was it decided that these reviews by "Roy" were written by the person accused of this hideous crime? Are they sure about that?? Couldn't just be someone with the same name? I'm having a very hard time reconciling that the writer and the accused are the same man. If it is indeed this man accused of murder, how sad that he chose the life of crime when he had talent enough to have been a professional writer, imo.

The BBC article clearly shows it is his account, so unless the BBC is wrong, it is this same “Roy”. I was as surprised as you (if you see my prior post)!