UK UK- Joy Hewer, 50, Teacher/church volunteer, sexually assaulted & fatally stabbed in chest, apartment set on fire, Walthamstow, 17 Oct.1995 *REWARD*

[dotr]

Wondering if Joy acted as a support buddy to a 'recovering' alcoholic who showed up at her door to say he feels tempted to drink, so she lets him in to have a coffee instead? speculation, imo.

 

[jojojaja]

If it's a planned murder, then why is he wearing a light coloured jacket?

Wouldn't a knife attacker wear dark clothing, to camouflage any bloodstains?

It doesn't look like a very warm jacket either. It was a cold and drizzly evening, only about 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). A local offender who hasn't had far to travel?

Opportunist or too mentally unwell to think clearly. But still tried to burn evidence.
Even if you are local, and rational, if planned you still won't want anyone to spot you with bloodstains.
I notice nothing about if anything was taken. That could be because they don't know or are keeping something to themselves. But I think they often say if they know something has been taken, so people may come forward recognising if someone suddenly has those items.

 

[jojojaja]

Wondering if Joy acted as a support buddy to a 'recovering' alcoholic who showed up at her door to say he feels tempted to drink, so she lets him in to have a coffee instead? speculation, imo.

Funnily enough if it weren't for the change in mo I would suspect Anthony Hardy who was an alcoholic, with a personality disorder, drug related psychosis etc. To a charitable person they would be classed as very vulnerable.
He was also supposedly a devil worshipper so would this not be an attraction? A very christian and charitable women?

However aside from that mind wander, being very kind and concerned can also attract unwanted attention, I know from experience, it can be misunderstood by people with a certain mindset and they can get fixated.

 

[jojojaja]

Really good points. Setting the fire to cover up also seems like a panic response. Maybe it was an attempt at seduction gone wrong by someone who was obsessed with Joy and very unstable.

If he was local, you'd think there would be a better chance of him being recognised perhaps. I wonder, like the poster above, if this person had followed her home from the Mission and was mentally unwell. That would fit with this being someone she knew and was perhaps helping.

I rewatched the Crimewatch reconstruction and she made a good few phone calls after returning home. I doubt she would do that if she was with someone. So if followed would they have waited patiently outside. Unless they knew her, how would they know which flat to go to? I can see why the police suspect it was someone who knew her, not just the fact she let them in. Could they have known her phone number and called her first? Oh hey I'm in the area and wondered how you were? Or faked some urgent situation they needed help with.