Widow’s Murder Still Unsolved After 37 Years, Justice Delayed

In 1988, Kate Simpson was murdered in her Hartburn home. She was a 94-year-old widow and well-liked. The murder investigation became Cleveland Police’s largest at that time. Police convicted three teens, but they were later released. The court deemed the convictions unsafe and overturned them.

No one has been held responsible for this crime. People called Mrs. Simpson independent and friendly. They said she “didn’t have an enemy.” In 2019, a team looked at the old case again. They asked the public for assistance with the investigation.

Mrs. Simpson lived alone after her husband’s death. Her husband had been a British Rail executive. Friends said she was capable of living by herself. The pathologist examined Mrs. Simpson’s body and stated she was healthy before the attack, saying she would have lived a long life.

On February 27th, Mrs. Simpson called her friend. It was a Saturday morning at 9:45 a.m. She gave her friend a shopping list. At 3:00 p.m., the friend arrived with the groceries. She found Mrs. Simpson’s front door was open.

The friend discovered Mrs. Simpson lying on the living room floor. A kitchen knife was in her chest. It had severed her aorta. She also had facial and neck injuries. The lead investigator described the attack as “callous and unnecessary.”

Police worked long shifts on this case. They followed many leads and questioned many people. They stopped over 2,000 cars at a roadblock. One detective expressed strong emotions about the case, saying he had never seen such dedication from detectives.

He felt sorrow about the brutal murder of the defenseless woman. He also felt despair and anger which drove the desire to solve the crime. Two weeks later, police charged three local teens.

A jury found the three teens guilty and they received life sentences. However, they were freed in 1992. The Court of Appeal overturned the convictions because the judge felt the evidence was insufficient. Police stated they were no longer seeking suspects.

In 2019, an investigator spoke about the case. He thought “artifice” burglars were responsible and believed at least two people were involved. He also thought some did not intend for her to die.

Cleveland Police encourages people to share information. They want to speak with witnesses. They extend their sympathies to Mrs. Simpson’s family and want to help bring closure to the case.