The Metropolitan Police are offering a £20,000 reward for information that might help identify the killer of a retired primary school teacher 30 years after her death.
Joy Hewer, 52, was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death at her home in Walthamstow on 17 October 1995.
Officers are now using modern forensic methods including advancements in DNA technology in an attempt to identify her murderer.
The teacher had visited the London Healing Mission, a Christian charity in Notting Hill, to volunteer earlier in the day.
She then travelled home before a neighbour heard banging coming from her flat between 10.30pm and 11pm.
Shortly afterwards, a phone call was made from a nearby phone box by a man who claimed to have seen smoke coming from Ms Hewer’s flat.
While speaking to the London Fire Brigade, the man could be heard asking someone queuing for a bus what road they were standing on. A recording of the call has been released by police in an attempt to identify the caller.
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When firefighters arrived at the flat, they found Ms Hewer’s body in her bedroom but no signs of forced entry, which they say suggests she knew her killer. Two fires, which had been deliberately started, were burning in the living room and bedroom.
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The Met have also released a CCTV image of a man they wish to find. He is described as white and in his mid-30s with short hair.
Ms Hewer’s sister, Penny Barnes, 72, said the devout Christian had been “brutally murdered” in her own home.
Ms Barnes said: “She was a gentle, caring woman who hurt no one, yet her life was taken in the cruellest way. Our family has lived with this torment for three decades, and our parents died without ever knowing the truth.
“Someone out there knows what happened. Please, after all this time, do the right thing. Even the smallest detail could finally bring justice for Joy and peace for us, her family.
“If you know something, however small, now is the time to speak up – Joy deserves justice, and her family deserves peace.”
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Detective Constable Murray Bannister, who works on the Met’s cold case homicide team, urged anyone who might have information about what happened to Ms Hewer to contact the police.
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He said: “A full DNA profile was recovered from the scene and we are continuing to explore all opportunities, including advancements in DNA technology.
“It may seem a long time ago, but three decades have not dulled the pain that this horrific act inflicted on her family. They are still fighting to get her justice, and we continue to use every means available to catch her killer.”
