Woman, 66, arrested after beloved dog walker Jennifer Abbott, 69, discovered wrapped in blanket by screaming niece who hadn’t heard from her for FOUR DAYS
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of the brutal murder of an award-winning film director who was found stabbed to death with tape over her mouth in her luxury Camden flat – as police revealed her diamond-encrusted Rolex was missing.
Jennifer Abbott, 69, who was known professionally as Sarah Steinberg, was discovered wrapped in a blanket on her bed after her terrified niece broke down the door with help from neighbours, having not heard from her beloved aunt for four agonising days.
The Hollywood insider – who had rubbed shoulders with stars including Paris Hilton, Kate Hudson and Ghostbusters legend Dan Aykroyd – was pronounced dead at the scene on Friday June 13, with a post-mortem revealing she died from “sharp force trauma”.
In a significant breakthrough, a 66-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday and remains in custody as detectives piece together the shocking crime that has left the quiet Camden community reeling.
TRAPPED DOG’S THREE-DAY ORDEAL
In heartbreaking scenes, Ms Abbott’s beloved Corgi was discovered locked in the bathroom where it had been trapped without food or water for three harrowing days – miraculously surviving the ordeal.
The chubby pet, described by neighbours as “fat and barking a lot”, was regularly seen being walked by the vivacious director around the leafy streets of Camden, where she was last spotted alive on Tuesday June 10.
‘OH MY GOD, SHE’S BEEN MURDERED’
The gruesome discovery unfolded when Ms Abbott’s increasingly worried niece arrived at the Mornington Place property after failing to reach her aunt for four days.
A neighbour, who asked not to be named, recalled the horrifying moment: “My son broke the door down. We heard her niece shouting: ‘Somebody help me, somebody help’ and we went out and asked ‘what’s wrong?'”
“She said: ‘I haven’t heard from my aunty in four days.”
The neighbour continued: “I was holding the door open downstairs and my son was upstairs and then I heard her niece screaming and saying: ‘Oh my God, she’s been murdered’. She had tape across her mouth.”
DIAMOND ROLEX AT CENTRE OF PROBE
Metropolitan Police have revealed they are hunting for Ms Abbott’s distinctive diamond-encrusted Rolex watch, which vanished from her home and could hold the key to solving the brutal killing.
Detective Inspector Barry Hart said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the victim’s loved ones who are being supported by specialist officers at this time.”
We thank the local community for their patience as we continue to investigate this shocking crime.”
“This arrest marks a significant step forward.”
HOLLYWOOD CONNECTIONS
The murdered director lived a fascinating double life, working under her professional name Sarah Steinberg in the film industry where she won acclaim for her 2010 documentary “War of the Gods” – a hard-hitting exploration of how religion is used by political leaders to justify conflict.
Social media photos show the glamorous filmmaker posing with A-list celebrities at glitzy Hollywood events, a world away from her final terrifying moments in her Camden flat.
Neighbours revealed Ms Abbott had an extraordinary background, with one saying: “She was a doctor but she was also an actor and director in America. She’d directed a movie and I looked at it on YouTube and saw her interviewed in Los Angeles. She was a character.”
LIVING IN FEAR
Chillingly, friends revealed the director had become increasingly terrified in the weeks before her death as drug users congregated in the doorways near her flat.
Abbott had reportedly grown increasingly fearful in the weeks leading up to her death. One friend recalled how she had broken down in tears after confrontations with addicts hanging around her building entrance.
“I remember her saying to me that once she had tried coming out of the flat and couldn’t get out […].” the friend revealed, adding she was “too scared to sleep”.
SECRET HEALTH BATTLE
In a tragic twist, neighbours disclosed that Ms Abbott had recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer and may have undergone surgery shortly before her murder.
“I think she had an operation and it went wrong or something and they had taken out a part of her intestines,” one neighbour revealed.
COMMUNITY IN SHOCK
The brutal killing has sent shockwaves through the Camden community where Ms Abbott was a familiar figure with her distinctive Corgi.
Neighbour William Currie, 63, a hairdresser, said: “She used to walk the dog every couple of days. She kept herself to herself, she wasn’t too sociable but kind, polite and well-mannered.”
Another resident described her as “exuberant” and “vivacious”, adding: “I can’t believe we won’t see her walking the corgi any more.”
One devastated neighbour reflected: “You’re never going to see her again and you just can’t take it in. I said to my son: ‘I can’t believe we were sitting here in the living room, maybe watching television, while she was over there going through that and we didn’t know.'”
POLICE APPEAL
Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in Camden, said: “We are working closely with our colleagues in the homicide team to establish exactly what happened and it’s incredibly important that we hear from anyone who may have knowledge about how this awful death occurred.
“Someone must have seen or heard something and no piece of information is too small. It could be the crucial clue that leads us to identify Jennifer’s murderer.”
Extra police patrols continue in the area as detectives work round the clock to piece together Ms Abbott’s final movements.
Anyone with information is urged to call 101 or message @MetCC on X, giving the reference 6470/13JUN. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
