Police have released this picture of Julie Fox, 31, in an effort to track down her killer
The haunting final images of a disabled woman who was murdered in her bungalow have been released by detectives hunting her killer.
Julie Fox, 31, was found dead in her home in Worcester, at around 6.50pm on December 27.
Paramedics were called to the property by a neighbour and it was later discovered that gas burners had been left on.
A post-mortem revealed that Ms Fox, who suffered from cerebral palsy and used an electric wheelchair, had died from head injuries.
She was last seen by her carer at around 7pm on December 22.
Police are now seeking information on a pink handbag which was missing from the property.
Detective Superintendent Adrian McGee, of West Mercia Police, said: ‘This is a recent CCTV image of Julie, however we are continuing to look through CCTV from businesses and private premises to see if there are any other sightings of her or anything else suspicious that could help with our inquiries.
‘We’re keen to speak to anyone who knows Julie or who has seen her in the last couple of weeks.
‘I’m also appealing to anyone living in the areas around Tolladine and Warndon who has CCTV in their property to ensure they preserve recordings made between 6pm on Friday December 22 and 6am on Saturday December 23 and call the investigation team on 101.
‘I’d also make the same appeal to anyone with dash cam footage who was driving on Carnforth Drive, Windermere Drive or Langdale Drive or nearby between these times to preserve the footage and contact us.
A post-mortem later revealed that Ms Fox, who suffered from cerebral palsy and used an electric wheelchair, had died from head injuries
‘This is around the time Julie was last seen alive so there may be footage that could be vital to our investigation.
‘While there was no sign of a break-in at Julie’s bungalow we believe that this pink handbag is missing from there.
‘I’m appealing to local people to keep an eye out for this bag and if they see it to call police immediately.
‘Members of the public may well hold the key to this investigation and helping us to identify who is responsible for Julie’s death.
Police cordon and forensics tents are erected outside Ms Fox’s home in Worcester
Police forensic teams scoured the scene for evidence after a murder investigation was launched by detectives
‘Any information, no matter how small, will help us to build up a better picture of Julie and piece together her final hours.’
Neighbours have since spoken of their shock at Ms Fox’s murder, describing her as a ‘lovely woman.’
One woman said: ‘It’s incredibly shocking, especially as I knew her a bit. I’d see her every now and then walking her dog and make small talk with her… mostly about the weather and little things.
‘She was quite severely disabled, she’d often be in her electric wheelchair and needed to use that to get onto the bus.
‘I never saw anyone else come out of that house, and whenever I saw her she was by herself. She was a lovely lady, very friendly and easy to chat to.’
Forensics teams work outside Ms Fox’s home after her murder in Worcester last week
A mother-of-one added: ‘I’ve heard it might have been a break-in gone wrong but you just don’t know.
‘I don’t think she had any enemies, who on earth would target a disabled woman anyway. Its absolutely tragic.’
A 42-year-old woman, who has lived on the street for seven years, added: ‘It’s all a bit unexplained, nobody knows what is going on.
‘There have been police here all day, and people were going door-to-door this morning asking us about it.
‘They asked us whether we’d heard anything suspicious from Christmas Eve, so they are being very thorough.
An extensive police cordon outside Ms Fox’s home last week with detectives now searching for a pink handbag
Police officers on the scene outside Ms Fox’s home in Worcester last week
‘The woman is called Julie, I’d see her walking up and down the street sometimes. She tended to be out by herself. I heard that she was disabled.’
One neighbour, who has lived on the street for 15 years, said: ‘Julie moved here 14 years ago, shortly after the homes had been built.
‘She always used that electric wheelchair, she was disabled.
‘The only person who would ever come to see her was her mother.’
Anyone with information or CCTV footage can call 101 and quote incident 597s of 27 December 2017.
Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.