UK UK- Esme Hoad, 85, fatally beaten, stabbed & robbed of antiques, by M&F intruders @home, Tonbridge, 8 Dec.,1982, *New initiative, reward & E-fit.*

[dotr]

December 8, 2025

Reward of £20k offered in cold-case murder probe

Esme Hoad, 85, died after an intruder got into her home and beat her around the head, police say.

ca.news.yahoo.com

''A £20,000 reward is on offer for information which helps police solve the murder of a woman killed more than 40 years ago.

Esme Hoad died in 1982 after an intruder entered her home and beat her around the head with a blunt instrument. She was also stabbed in the chest, Kent Police said.

The attack happened while she was living alone at her house in Havelock Road, Tonbridge.

The 85-year-old's body was found by police on 8 December 1982, after neighbours reported she had not been seen for days.''

''A shoe print was recovered with the word "banana" on the sole.

One line of inquiry was into an unknown couple, believed to have been regular visitors to the victim's address, who had a blue Mini Traveller car.''

Police issued e-fits of a man and woman they believed may have known murdered Esme Hoad [Kent Police]

A print from a boot with the word "Banana" on the sole was found at the scene [Kent Police]
Crimestoppers are offering a £20,000 reward for information which leads to Ms Hoad's killer being found and convicted.

 

[dotr]

40-Year Cold Case: Pensioner’s Murder Shocks Tonbridge

Police are reopening the hunt for the killer of Esme Hoad, an 85-year-old pensioner brutally murdered in her Tonbridge home more than four decades ago. A fresh appeal and a hefty £20,000 reward aim to finally crack the chilling cold case. Blunt Instrument and Stabbing: Grim Details of the Attack...

uknip.co.uk

“Esme Hoad was a much-loved member of her community and the brutality of her murder shocked the whole town,” said Detective Inspector Lee Neiles. “More than 40 years have passed, but we’re as determined as ever to find the person responsible. Someone out there knows something, and even the smallest clue could break this case open.”

''Anyone with information—especially regarding the couple or missing antiques—is urged to contact Kent Police on 01303 289600, quoting AC/1400/82, or use the online portal.

Crimestoppers is backing the probe with a £20,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest. Call 0800 555111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org. The reward runs until 8 March 2026—time’s ticking to crack this brutal cold case.''

 

[dotr]

Dec 8, 2025
Cold case detectives investigating the unsolved murder of a Tonbridge pensioner are renewing an appeal for information more than 40 years on.Esme Hoad, 85, was killed in 1982 after an intruder entered her home and repeatedly beat her around the head with a blunt instrument. She was also stabbed in the chest.Crimestoppers are now offering a £20,000 reward for information which leads to Esme’s killer being found and convicted.https://www.kent.police.uk/news/kent/...