Police launch CCTV appeal 32 years on from murder of Vera Anderson

Veronica Anderson – known as Vera – was found in Penketh in the early hours of August 25 1991, and enquiries have been continuing since then.

The 42-year-old mum-of-two had left her home in Widnes on the previous evening after receiving a call.

Vera left her home in Hadfield Close at about 10.10pm, asking a neighbour to take care of her six-year-old son as she left, saying she would only be gone for 10 minutes and without taking her purse and leaving the television on.

Her body was found in her blue Ford Cortina car off Tannery Lane in Penketh shortly after 3am the next morning.

She had been strangled, her throat had been cut and a blood-stained glove and a length of sash cord had been left behind.

Police would like to speak to the man in the CCTV image in connection with the murder of Vera Anderson

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.

Despite numerous and lengthy enquiries, and appeals offering a reward for information, her killer has never been traced, and the person who called her has not been identified.

One of Cheshire’s longest unsolved murder investigations, the case featured on Crimewatch Live on BBC One last September in an attempt by police to appeal for information.

Following an appeal in 2021, a 70-year-old man from Widnes and a 61-year-old woman from Warrington were arrested the following year due to information from the public.

They were subsequently released without charge.

The man was spotted on CCTV with a woman

Now detectives have released a CCTV image of a man which was captured at Tesco Extra on Winwick Road in Warrington on March 9, 2013. He was in the company of a younger woman, also pictured.

Chief Inspector Adam Waller said: “The smallest detail may help us in bringing justice for Vera and her family – someone must know what happened that day.

“The man in the image may have information that could help us with the investigation. We hope that either he will recognise himself in the CCTV and contact us, or maybe someone will recognise him and get in touch with us.

“As forensic science advances over the years we have re-tested evidence, and we routinely review material gathered as part of the investigation. This CCTV is another element of this review. We never give up hope while we have information or evidence that could lead us to get answers for Vera’s family.

“They were left devastated by her death and have had to live with what happened since 1991 - we just want to get them some form of closure following the traumatic and shocking murder of their loved one.”