The divisional commander of Tayside Police western division says he is confident the killer of 80-year-old Jenny Methven will be caught.
Today marks a fortnight since the pensioner was found dead at her cottage a mile from the quiet hamlet of Forteviot.
Mrs Methven, who lived with her son David (48), was a popular person in the area and was once president of Forgandenny WRI. A member of Forteviot Parish Church, she was described as a ”pillar of the community”.
Her son found her body at 5.15pm on Monday, February 20, at the cottage they shared at Kildinny Farm, between Forteviot and Forgandenny. She had suffered injuries to her head and body.
Police revealed she had been struck with a blunt object in the kitchen.
An intensive investigation has followed, involving around 80 officers, in what Superintendent Jim Leslie has called the biggest murder hunt in his memory as a policeman.
Police have launched witness appeals, narrowed the timeframe of the murder, carried out interviews on local buses and scoured the area near Mrs Methven’s home and beyond.
Support has also come from the National Policing Improvement Agency, which provides professional expertise to UK forces for major inquiries, in areas such as procedures, tactics and resources, along with the Scottish Police Services Authority and a pathologist.
The charity Crimestoppers has also offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer.
Despite the efforts failing to make the crucial breakthrough so far, Mr Leslie told The Courier he is confident the person responsible will be tracked down.
”Investigations at Forteviot involve around 80 officers,” he said. “Those levels are set to ensure that we can maximise opportunities to detect this murder as quickly as possible. While that has an awkward impact for the rest of Tayside, it’s recognised that this is absolutely our number one priority.
”The officers involved in the inquiry have commented favourably on the level of support they have received from the public, both in the Forteviot area and beyond. We had the police community safety caravan in various locations to provide reassurance and support to the local community.”
And Mr Leslie was keen to point out the rarity of the murder.
”I would emphasise this is an extremely uncommon crime and there is absolutely no suggestion of any likelihood of a repetition,” he added. ”That said, our advice is to use normal crime prevention measures such as keeping doors locked and not letting strangers into your home.”