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22 Aug 2012
Detectives in Cheshire are renewing their appeal to the public
for information following the murder of a woman in
Cranage almost two weeks ago.
54-year-old Diana Lee was found dead inside the garage of her
home on Byley Lane, Cranage, on Thurday
9th August. Her body was discovered after
emergency services were called to a report of a fire at the
premises around 10am that day. Diana had sustained significant head
injuries.
The previous evening, Wednesday 8th August, Diana had joined
friends for dinner in Knutsford. She is described as being happy
and sociable during the evening and raised no concerns amongst her
friends. The investigation so far has established that Diana left
the restaurant around 10.15pm, and her car - a Silver Corsa
registration number SA59NOU - was then recorded on a traffic
monitoring camera at 10.35pm.
Detective Superintendent Martin Cleworth said
What is of interest to us is that Diana was in fact heading away
from her home, north out of Knutsford after she left the
restaurant. Some 42 minutes later at 11.17pm, Diana was heading
back towards her home address in Cranage, south on the A50. We
consider Diana's final movements as significant - we do not know
where she went between these times or who she may have met. I would
ask anyone who knows Diana, or indeed anyone who may have
knowledge of her movements that evening,
contact us as a priority.
- Detective Superintendent Martin Cleworth, Force Major
Investigation Team
On the morning that Thursday 9th August it is believed Diana's
car was at her home address until around 10am when it was seen
leaving and heading down Byley Lane in the direction of
Middlewich.
Around
10.30am her car was seen again in Smith
Lane, Mobberley where a man was trying to set it alight.
After being disturbed by a witness he rode off on a blue womens
pedal cycle that we believe belonged to the victim. He abandoned
the bike in Pepper Street some 600 yards away and
then left the area on foot across the fields. Police have now have
released an e-fit of this man that we are very keen to trace.
Detectives believe the person responsible may have been a
friend, an associate, or in some way knew Diana as there was no
sign of forced entry at her house. We also believe that the person
responsible is likely to have knowledge of the Cranage/Holmes
Chapel and Mobberley areaswell and most likely will have been
acting differently since the morning of Thursday August 9th.
Detectives are keen to reiterate that we do have ways to
forensically eliminate people from this
investigation.
Cheshire Police urge the public for their help in this
investigation and would encourage anyone with information to
contact Cheshire Police on 101 quoting Operation
Springfield.
