New appeal after son finds murdered mother

Police have released two undated photographs of Julie Foster

Police have appealed for help in finding the killer of a woman whose battered body was discovered by her eight-year-old son.

Julie Foster, 45, was found in a pool of blood by her son Jay at their home in Elsenham, near Stansted, Essex, early on Tuesday.

It's difficult to say how Jay is coping

Essex Police

The youngster made the discovery after walking into his mother's bedroom to ask about his breakfast, police said.

Detectives say they are now interviewing friends, neighbours and acquaintances of the dead woman in an attempt to find the killer.

Essex Police believe Mrs Foster was killed late on Monday in a "brutal and sustained attack".

Son's trauma

A police spokesman said on Saturday that Jay was being comforted by his father, Eric, who was separated from Mrs Foster.

The youngster is understood to be receiving specialist counselling to help him come to terms with the trauma.

Police say he has been able to give helpful information and is being handled "very sensitively".

Officers said the weeping youngster dialled 999 and told an operator what he had found.

Detective Superintendent Ian McNeill, who is heading the investigation, said on Friday: "It's difficult to say how Jay is coping. Obviously we treated him very sensitively.

"Some of the information he has given us has helped with the inquiry. He is certainly putting a brave face on his grief.

"It was a horrible attack on a lady in her own home at night."

Police gave details of the murder earlier this week but news that Jay had discovered the body did not emerge until Friday.

A 44-year-old man has been questioned and released without charge by detectives investigating Mrs Foster's murder.