This is the first picture of the smiling gran brutally killed in a murder suicide in Fife.
Mum-of-two Valerie Richardson was murdered in her own home by a former DJ who later killed himself.
A police source said officers were met with a horrifying scene when they smashed down the door of tragic Valerie’s flat in Elie in the east neuk of Fife.
The body of the 49-year-old grandmother was found beside ex-DJ Ross Thom on Monday afternoon after friends of Valerie, who neighbours described as disabled, expressed concerns she hadn’t been on social media for a few days.
Just an hour after the horror find, friends of 39-year-old Thom, from Cellardyke, were posting desperate messages appealing for his whereabouts after he was last heard from on Saturday.
Police confirmed they were treating Valerie’s death and Thom’s as “unexplained but not suspicious.”
They said they were not seeking to trace anyone else in connection with the deaths. Police also moved to reassure the local community the murder-suicide was an isolated incident and that there was no danger to the wider public.
Last night, Valerie’s grocery delivery driver, Mike Baxter, said: “She was always a lovely woman to me and I had a lot of respect for her. She was always cheery. It’s a real sad state of affairs and I hope police find out the cause of this.”
A neighbour said: “She walked with a zimmer and had been ill a while back and needed chemotherapy. She was a nice lady, always said hello”
Detective Inspector Chris Mill from Levenmouth CID said: “We understand that these deaths have come as a great shock, not only to the local community in Elie but to the families of both individuals. Our specially trained officers will continue to support the families with all the assistance they may require.
“We have conducted a thorough investigation of the property in Links Place and, along with the results of the post mortem, we are satisfied that Valerie Richardson’s death is suspicious and is being treated as a murder.
“While an official cause of death has yet to be established for Ross Thom, we do not believe there to be any suspicious circumstances.
“This appears to have been an isolated incident and no other individuals are being sought in connection with these deaths.”
