Seventy-seven-year-old widow Lena Farr lived a modest life in her home on Brook Street, a typical residential street in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England, a small village located just a few miles from the market town of Biggleswade.
On April 12th, 1971, concern grew among neighbors when Lena failed to appear for her routine activities. It was then that her body was found in a chair in the sitting room of her home. The elderly woman had suffered severe cuts and bruises to her face, skull, and left hand, indicative of a violent struggle. However, the official cause of death was determined to be strangulation, suggesting her attacker overpowered her in a deliberate and personal assault.
Contemporary newspaper reports described the discovery as that of a “battered body,” underscoring the ferocity of the attack that took place. The intrusion appeared targeted, with no signs of forced entry immediately apparent, raising questions about whether Lena knew her killer or had unwittingly opened the door to him.
Bedfordshire Police swiftly launched a thorough inquiry led by Detective Chief Superintendent John Grant, head of the county’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Grant’s team canvassed the neighborhood, interviewed potential witnesses, and appealed for public assistance, but the close proximity of homes in Stotfold yielded few leads.
Early in the probe, a man was reported to be assisting police with their inquiries, hinting at a possible suspect or person of interest. However, no charges were ever filed, and details about this individual remain scarce, shrouded in the procedural opacity common to investigations of the era.
The case drew local media attention, with outlets like the Biggleswade Chronicle covering updates on police efforts. Despite these appeals, the trail went cold, leaving Grant’s team—and Lena Farr’s family—without closure. By July 1971, just three months after the killing, reports indicated ongoing but fruitless investigations.
Over five decades later, the murder of Lena Farr is still unresolved, though Bedfordshire Police maintain the case remains open.
Crime Immemorial 