A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murder after mother-of-six Anita Rose was found unconscious after taking her dog for a walk in Brantham, Suffolk.
Ms Rose was found injured and unconscious on a track road near Rectory Lane by a member of public at around 6.25am on July 24, after she left her house at around 5am to take her dog, a springer spaniel named Bruce, for a walk.
The man, who is from Brantham, was taken to the Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning and remains in custody.
He is the third person to be arrested after two people from Ipswich were arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident, including a 45-year-old man held on suspicion of attempted murder and later re-arrested on suspicion of murder.
A 37-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, and both have since been released on police bail, with conditions to return on October 25 2024.
Ms Rose suffered injuries to her head and face and was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where she died on Sunday, and a Home Office post-mortem examination was carried out the following day, although the cause of death has not been established and will be subject to further tests, Suffolk Police said.
Detective Superintendent Mike Brown said: “We have had a strong response from the public who have positively engaged with officers in the village, on the public transport network and around the scene of the incident, as well as the wider investigation team through the Major Investigation Public Portal and we would like to thank the public for their continued support.”
He added: “Whilst we have recovered Anita’s iPhone, her pink zip-up jacket which we believe she was wearing immediately prior to the incident remains outstanding.
“We reiterate our appeal for information as to its whereabouts as it could hold key information or evidence to the investigation. The jacket is described as waterproof in material and is believed to be from an outdoor clothing brand, possibly from Regatta.
“We also urge people to please refrain from speculating about the incident, to allow the investigation and any subsequent court proceedings to take place.”
