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Police are hopeful they can find the person who severely beat a Melbourne bookstore owner in 2012, as they release photos of a man they want to speak to.
Jill Brookes suffered severe brain damage and life-threatening injuries after she was beaten and robbed at her second-hand bookstore in Harrington Square in Altona, south-west of Melbourne, about 5pm on 20 July of that year.
The then 61-year-old woman was taken to Alfred Hospital, but never fully recovered from her injuries and eventually died in March 2021.
“I’ve been involved in this investigation for the last 12 years and it’s something that has stayed with me over that time,” Detective Chief Matthew Noonan said.
‘Jill’s family never understood why this happened to her and sadly we have never been in a position to give them the answers despite a significant investigation.
“Jill suffered life-threatening injuries during the assault, and those injuries had a huge impact on her quality of life until she died.”
On Saturday, Victoria Police issued a new appeal to find a man who was seen in the area on the day Brookes was beaten.
Police released images of a man (pictured) they want to speak to who was in the Altona area in 2012 when an elderly woman was beaten in her bookstore.
There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to the person responsible for the assault.
There was nothing to suggest the man was involved in the attack on the bookstore owner, but police were never able to identify him and want to see if he has anything to offer to the investigation, officers said.
The man was seen at Altona train station at around 3.25pm ​​on July 20, before boarding a train and arriving at Westona train station around five minutes later.
Police also believe he was seen walking along Maidstone St in Altona at around 3.30pm that day.
Detectives have repeatedly asked for the community’s help to find Ms Brookes’ attacker, but to no avail.
In 2014, they offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to her attacker.
Jill Brookes (pictured) suffered severe brain damage and life-threatening injuries after she was beaten and robbed in her second-hand bookstore.
A decade on, they still believe a man who dropped a letter into the letterbox at Altona North police station in May 2013 is key to the investigation.
However, the man never came forward to speak to the police.
The letter contained a newspaper clipping about the case and a note written with letters cut from the paper.
Police reviewed countless hours of CCTV and followed hundreds of reports over the years in the hope of finding the person who attacked Ms Brookes, Det Sen Const Noonan said.
“We are hopeful that this man (at CCTV) can provide us with new lines of enquiry,” he said.
‘I understand that a significant amount of time has passed, however we are still hopeful that this case can be resolved.
“All we need is the right information from the right person.”
Police urged anyone with information to contact them.
The $100,000 reward is still on offer.