Grandmother's blaze killer hunted
Detectives are hunting a killer who strangled a grandmother before setting fire to her bungalow in an attempt to hide evidence.
Frail 85-year-old widow Pat Thompson was found dead in bed in her burning bungalow by the fire service on Saturday night.
A neighbour at Emma Simpson Court, Hartburn, near Stockton on Tees, alerted the emergency services having seen smoke coming from Mrs Thompson's home.
Police are still trying to establish the motive - describing the killing as a "horrendous".
Detective Superintendent Gordon Lang, who is leading the investigation, said: "This is a brutal murder that has shocked and saddened the local community. The person responsible for this cowardly attack on a defenceless elderly lady needs to be caught and we are doing everything we can to find him.
"Pat has been described as a lovely lady and no-one can understand why anyone would want to hurt her.
"The last few moments of her life must have been absolutely terrifying and I would appeal again to members of the local community to think back to Saturday night - did they see or hear anything suspicious around Emma Simpson Court?"
Mr Lang said he could not rule out that Mrs Thompson knew her killer, as she was known to leave her back door unlocked - although when the fire service arrived the bungalow was secure.
"Certainly this is something we can't rule out. We are keeping an open mind as to what the motive could be," Mr Lang said.
"We've had a small insight into Pat from her daughters. This lady did not have enemies, she had friends and she was a very, very popular member of the Church and the local community. She always had a 'hello' and a smile and she was a real star within that small community."
