An antiques dealer murdered in West Molesey in Surrey this week had suffered multiple blows to the head, a postmortem has found.
The respected silver specialist Robyn Mercer, 50, was found dead in the front garden of her home by a neighbour on Monday.
A 52-year-old man from West Molesey has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody.
Surrey police said on Wednesday that a postmortem examination had found the cause of death to be multiple blows to the head and that forensic inquiries were ongoing.
Mercer worked at the family firm JH Bourdon-Smith in Mayfair, west London, and was a respected expert in antique silver who had contributed to academic studies of 16th-century silver spoons.
The arts specialist Paul Crane, 40, from the nearby Brian Haughton gallery said: “She was an extremely kind-hearted lady who had a deep and generous amount of time for friends.”
Tributes were paid to the keen rower in the wake of her death, with fellow members of Walton Rowing Club expressing their shock.
Mike Everington posted on the club’s website: “The club has been shocked to learn of the untimely death of one of its members, Robyn Mercer. We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to her family.”
