Murder of Veronica Anderson features on Crimewatch Live

Mum-of-two Veronica Anderson, from Widnes, was brutally killed in August 1991.

Her throat was slashed, and she was strangled.

Three decades later, Cheshire Police have renewed their appeal for information over the 42-year-old’s murder.

And the case was featured on Crimewatch Live on BBC One this morning, Wednesday.

At around 10pm on Saturday, August 24 1991, Veronica – who was known as Vera – received a phone call before dashing out of her home on Hadfield Close without taking her purse and leaving the television on.

She dropped her then seven-year-old son Neil with a neighbour, saying she would only be gone for 10 minutes.

Five hours later – shortly after 3am on Sunday, August 25 1991 – her body was found slumped over the steering wheel of her blue Ford Cortina car at Penketh Tannery in Warrington.

There was no evidence of a robbery or a sexual assault, although the killer left behind a blood-stained glove and a length of cord.

It is believed that Vera, who ran a business making and selling sandwiches, was killed at some point between 11.30pm and 2.30am.

The identity of the caller remains a mystery, but at around 10.30pm a woman matching Vera’s description was sighted in the Crown and Cushion pub in Penketh.

She was seen talking to a white man in his late 30s or early 40s with short, mousey-coloured hair and a moustache and who was wearing a fawn-coloured jacket.

He too has never been traced, and this is the last reported sighting of the victim alive.

A police sketch of the man in the pub

Retired detective sergeant Gary Massey, who is continuing to look into the case as a civilian investigator, told the programme: “The main focus of the investigation was to try and establish Vera Anderson’s movements once she’d left her home address.

“There were a whole load on enquiries around a possible sighting of Vera Anderson with a man in the pub on that evening.

“Unfortunately, despite extensive enquiries the identity of that male came to nothing.

“I’ve invested a lot of time in trying to identify who was responsible and bring justice for the family of Vera Anderson.”

Detective inspector Adam Waller added: “All murders are tragic, but this one was particularly and inexplicably brutal.

“It’s really apparent from the huge amount of enquiries conducted with Vera’s family and friends that she was a popular, likeable and family-orientated lady – she was very sociable, extremely close to her family and her two children meant the world to her.

“Despite extensive enquiries into Vera’s background, the motive for her killing remains unclear.

“This must be hugely upsetting for her family, as there’s just no sense as to what’s happened to her.

“For 30 years, Vera’s children have suffered the angst of not knowing why their mum was killed or by whom.

“A young son was left without a mother, Vera has missed out on seeing her grandchildren grow up and birthdays, Christmases and marriages.

“I know there isn’t a day that goes by where Vera’s daughter doesn’t think about her mum.

“They’re desperate for closure, justice and the answers to many questions so we’re extremely keen for anyone who has information to get in touch – I’m convinced that there’s someone out there who knows the identity of the killer.”

A reconstruction was made by Crimewatch at time, clips of which were screened again during the show.

Daughter Lorraine Rigby, who was 19 at the time of her mum’s murder and had to identify her body, said: “She was a lovely woman, she was very generous and kind-hearted – I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to hurt her.

“It was very difficult – I just felt so alone and I thought ‘what am I going to do’ but I just got on with it, I had no choice.

“I was more upset about my brother losing my mum, because he was only seven and he idolised my mother.

“We had to sit him down and tell him that his mummy was never coming back, and that was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.

“It’s still very difficult, because the killer has never been caught – it’s never gotten any easier.

“I just don’t understand how anyone could do such a thing.

“It’s never going to be forgotten – I’m still going to have it on my mind until the killer is caught, I don’t think I’m going to be able to rest.

“I feel like it’s me living the life sentence.”

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Cheshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 0709373610, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.