£20,000 reward to find killer of 'caring' and 'generous' Liverpool grandmother found dead in own home

A £20,000 reward is being offered to find the killer of “generous” Liverpool grandmother, Rose Johnston, in Dovecot.

Rose, 68, was found dead at her home on Ancroft Road at 12.35pm on Saturday, October 4 of this year. Merseyside Police said she had been assaulted and suffered a blunt force head injury.

The force has carried out extensive lines of enquiry including witness, house-to-house, CCTV and forensic enquiries.

Crimestoppers, which is independent of the police, is supporting the investigation by offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information the charity exclusively receives – either online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111 at any time – that leads to the arrest of those responsible for Rose’s murder.

Detectives now know that Rose was last seen alive at her home in the early hours of Friday, October 3 and they are appealing for anyone who saw her or anyone acting suspiciously in the area of Ancroft Road between October 3 and 4 to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Catherine Walsh said: “We believe that there is someone living in our communities who is the key to unlocking what happened to Rose and who was responsible.

“That person may be staying quiet out of guilt or fear or maybe they heard or saw something and did not realise its significance at the time. It is to that person that we are making a direct appeal to come forward and speak to us.

“Rose was a loving mum and grandmother and her death has left her family devastated. As Christmas approaches we remain as resolute as ever to finding the person responsible and would urge the community to support us by telling us what they know.”

Gary Murray, North West Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “Rose was a caring and generous woman who dedicated her life to her family and to others. Her murder has shocked the local community, and her family deserve answers.

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“We know that people often stay silent if they know something about serious crime like this out of fear or because they don’t want to get involved. But Crimestoppers offers a completely safe and anonymous way to speak up.

“You can contact our charity, which is independent of the police and will never be asked about your personal details. We can’t trace your call or online form, and you’ll remain 100% anonymous. That means no comeback.

“If you know what happened to Rose, or have suspicions about who is responsible, please let us know.”

For more details of the investigation and to pass on information to Merseyside Police go to the Merseyside Police Major Incident Portal here. You can also contact Merseyside Police via social media @MerPolCC on X and Facebook, via their website or by calling 101.