Retired midwife, 71, was found battered to death and covered in plastic sheeting in her conservatory just hours before Britain went into lockdown – before ‘killer’ fled to Sweden
- Body of Wendy Morse found in her Knypersley, Staffordshire home on March 22
- An inquest heard the 71-year-old suffered a ‘severe blunt trauma head injury’
- Police have European Arrest Warrant in bid to extradite man arrested in Sweden
Detectives hunting the killer of a retired midwife found her battered body covered in plastic sheeting on the floor of her conservatory, an inquest has heard.
Police launched a murder inquiry after Wendy Ann Morse, 71, was found dead in her home on Mother’s Day – hours before the UK went into coronavirus lockdown.
The ‘sorely missed’ grandmother, who had been involved in a dispute with a builder working at her detached bungalow, had suffered a ‘severe blunt trauma head injury’.
Details of the death come as officers stepped up their efforts to extradite a 42-year-old man who was arrested in Sweden days after the pensioner’s death.
Police launched a murder inquiry after Wendy Ann Morse, 71, was found dead in her home on Mother’s Day – hours before the UK went into coronavirus lockdown.
The inquest heard Mrs Morse had been reported missing by her daughter on Sunday, March 22 after she failed to get any response when she knocked on the door of her home in Knypersley, Staffordshire.
North Staffordshire assistant coroner Sarah Murphy told the inquest: ‘The circumstances reported to the coroner’s court are that the deceased lived alone and was having building work done at the house.
‘She was not satisfied with the builder and another contractor was due to start.
‘On March 19 via social media she last had contact with her family. Her daughter later sent her a message but it was not replied to. Her daughter became concerned and visited her on March 22.
‘There was no reply to her knocking on the door and she found flowers on the doorstep sent by her brother. She became concerned and contacted the police and reported the deceased as a missing person.
‘Police arrived and checked the property and while at the back they noticed a curtain hanging from the window of the conservatory. They saw there was furniture covered and on the floor it looked like there was a body covered in plastic sheeting.
The ‘sorely missed’ grandmother, who had been involved in a dispute with a builder working at her detached bungalow, had suffered a ‘severe blunt trauma head injury’ (Pictured: Police at Mrs Morse’s Staffordshire home)
Details of the death come as officers stepped up their efforts to extradite a 42-year-old man who was arrested in Sweden days after the pensioner’s death
‘They found the deceased on the floor in the conservatory. The deceased had a severe blunt trauma head injury. There were signs of a disturbance as there was glass and a bottle smashed on the floor.’
Six days after officers discovered Mrs Morse’s body, a man, who has not been named, was arrested in Sweden and appeared before Stockholm District Court.
According to a court document, the suspect is accused of killing Mrs Morse between March 18 and March 22.
Officers have now secured a European Arrest Warrant as part of their attempts to extradite the man, who is from Sneyd Green, Stoke-on-Trent.
The coroner told North Staffordshire Coroner’s Court: ‘We don’t have a cause of death. A post-mortem examination has been requested and there is reason to suspect that the death was violent and unnatural and therefore an inquest is necessary.
‘The family will be updated and a date for the inquest will be set administratively in due course should this be necessary. The body has been released for funeral purposes.’
After Mrs Morse’s body was discovered on March 22 her heartbroken family paid tribute her and appealed for help tracing the killer.
In a statement, they said: ‘We are devastated at the loss of our mum, who was a very bubbly person and full of character, who will be sorely missed by her children and grandchildren.
‘We would appeal to any member of the public with any information, however small, to contact Staffordshire Police in connection with the death of our mum.’
Police have appealed for sightings of a green Honda Civic – registration number OK62 AMS – which was driven from Biddulph to Sneyd Green, between midday and 3pm on Thursday, March 19.
Anyone with any dash-cam footage or any information which could assist with the murder investigation should call the police on 101, quoting incident number 481 of March 22, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.