Pizza delivery murder unsolved after 30 years

Surrey Police said Karen Reed, a geophysicist, had no involvement in any criminal activity

Police are still looking for information in the case of a woman shot dead on her doorstep by a man disguised as a pizza delivery driver 30 years ago.

Karen Reed, 33, had been “curling up with her cats” and drinking wine with a friend moments before the attack.

Ms Reed, who lived on Woking's Barnsbury Estate, opened the door to a "tall, dark-haired man" at about 21:15 BST on 30 April 1994.

Renewing its appeal, Surrey Police said it believed the death was a contract killing and a case of mistaken identity.

Surrey Police said it was still determined to find the killers

The force said Ms Reed, a geophysicist, had no involvement in any criminal activity.

It said the man, described as wearing glasses and holding a pizza box, asked Ms Reed, who lived in Willow Way, to confirm the address before she was shot at close range five times.

Crimestoppers is offering a £20,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of those linked to the murder.

Mick Duthie, director of operations at the charity, said: “We would like to see justice for Karen, her family and friends.”

Ms Reed's brother has previously appealed for help to find the “coward” who killed his “gentle, compassionate and warm-hearted” sister.

In a statement on Crimewatch Live in 2021, he said: “Karen answered her front door to someone who, without asking her name, shot her dead.

“A moment earlier, she had been curling up with her cats, having a glass of wine, catching up with a friend."

He described her leading a “blameless, quite ordinary life” and said she deserved justice.

'An innocent young woman'

Surrey Police said it had pursued 3,000 lines of inquiry and taken 1,700 statements in one of the "most exhaustive" cases in the force’s history.

Senior investigating officer, Det Ch Insp Gareth Hicks, said police were still “determined” to find those responsible.

He said: “Karen was an innocent young woman who was loved by those who knew her.

“She had absolutely no involvement in criminal activity, and we have always believed that this murder was a case of mistaken identity and a contract killing which went wrong.

“It’s time for the people who know what happened to do the right thing and come forward to help us.”

Two weeks before Ms Reed’s death, police had followed a red Vauxhall Cavalier in the area, before the driver ran off.

On searching the car, officers found an automatic pistol fitted with a silencer and a marked map to the Barnsbury Estate.

They believe this was a first attempt at carrying out the shooting.

Anyone with information on Operation Lilac is asked to contact the force or Crimestoppers.