Eleven murders which have remained unsolved for up to 30 years are being pursued by Essex detectives.
In January, a new "cold case" detective unit was established to trawl over old murder and rape cases in an attempt to catch violent offenders still at large.
Now, 11 of these cases are yielding promise and police are about to appeal for the public's help.
One of the cases is that of Norah Trott, 63, whose near-naked and badly beaten-up body was discovered in her lock-up garage in Rochford, near Southend, on November 6, 1978.
In July this year, an anonymous letter was sent to Southend police with information about a suspect. Details of the other historical cases being targeted have not been revealed.
Det Supt Simon Coxall said: "There is new technology which wasn't available to police years ago and people's preparedness to speak out changes over the years."
Anyone with information about an unsolved crime is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Callers may remain anonymous when passing on information.
Published Monday July 12, 2004
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