Reward offered to solve 1995 teacher murder

Joy Hewer is believed to have been killed by someone she knew, police say

A £20,000 police reward is being offered by the Metropolitan Police to help solve the murder of a primary school teacher who was sexually assaulted and stabbed in the chest in her north-east London home exactly 30 years ago.

Firefighters were called to a sixth-floor flat in St David's Court, Walthamstow on 17 October 1995 where they found Joy Hewer's injured body and two rooms deliberately set alight.

Joy's younger sister Penny Barnes, who is supporting the appeal, said: "She was a gentle, caring woman who hurt no-one, yet her life was taken in the cruellest way."

There were no signs of forced entry to her home, suggesting she may have known her killer, the force said.

Police previously released this grainy CCTV image of a man seen entering Ms Hewer's flat on the evening she was killed

Detectives hope the reward will encourage anyone with information about the 52-year-old's death to come forward, as they "continue to use every means available to catch her killer".

Det Con Murray Bannister 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."

Mystery caller

Following numerous appeals, detectives have pieced together a picture of the day she died, the force says.

Ms Hewer headed back to her flat shortly before 18:00 BST, after doing charity work in Notting Hill.

A neighbour reported hearing loud noises or banging coming from her flat between 22:30 and 23.00.

At 23:18, a call was made to the emergency services from a phone box on Fulbourne Road by a caller reporting smoke coming from Ms Hewer's home.

The caller has never been traced.

The Met previously issued an image of a man they would like to trace.

He was captured on CCTV entering the front of St David's Court at around 22.30 on the night Joy was killed.

Ms Hewer's parents died without knowing who killed their daughter (pictured on the left)

Penny, 72, who lives in Bedfordshire, said: "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."