'We want justice': Daughter's appeal for information on 20th anniversary of Nora Tait's murder
"We want some answers. We want justice for our mum."
Those are the words of Jayne Watson, the daughter of Nora Tait, who was brutally murdered in her home in Doncaster exactly 20 years ago today.
Her body was discovered by a close friend the following day, with her fish and chip dinner she had bought before the attack laying untouched on the dining room table.
On the 20th anniversary of her mother's death, Jayne returned to the street where Nora lived and sadly died, and explained how much it would mean to her and her family to get justice and find Nora's killer.
"It feels quite emotional to be back after all this time," Jayne said.
"My mum wasn't in a place she shouldn't have been. She was in her own home and somewhere she should have been safe.
"You don't expect your parent to be taken in such a horrific way. It was so undeserved and brutal."
Jayne and her family have never given up hope of finding Nora's killer, and on the 20th anniversary of her death they are once again urging anyone with information to contact police.
"If someone does know something, please just report it to police and give our family the closure we need. I think we deserve it, and my mum definitely deserves it,” Jayne added.
"We are yet to put a gravestone on my mum's grave because we are waiting for this final closure. To have those answers really would mean the absolutely world to me and my family, and it would mean we could finally lay our mum to rest."
The weapon used to attack Nora has never been found and the only item taken from her home was a black leather purse, which has also never been recovered.
Office manager Ray Turnbull was the detective inspector for this case, and over the years he has remained in close contact with Jayne and Nora's family.
He said: "It was the murder that sticks in your mind because it's a 69-year-old woman who was murdered in the most brutal way in her own home.
"She was just a normal lady going about her normal business and then her life was cut short by this violent and horrific attack.
"I'm driven by the fact that this murder needs detecting so Nora's family can seek some solace from knowing who's done it and that justice has been served.
Detective Chief Inspector Ben Wood, who is now the case's senior investigating officer, has reaffirmed the force's belief that the answers as to what happened to Nora and who killed her lie within the local Hexthorpe community.
On the 20th anniversary of her death, he is urging anyone who has information that could help detectives find Nora's killer to come foward.
DCI Wood said: "We remain very much committed to finding the person who ended Nora's life and we still believe that those all-important answers lie in the local community.
"We have already pursued 3,000 lines of enquiry and taken 600 witness statements but we are hopeful that there is fresh information out there which could prove to be the missing piece in this 20-year jigsaw.
"Nora's family, friends and loved ones deserve to know what happened to her and for justice to be served. If you have any information which you haven't previously shared then please share it with us.
"Somebody knows what happened to her, and if you do know something and are continuing to carry it with you then please tell the police.
"It doesn't matter how insignificant it may seem as even the smallest piece of information could prove to be really insightful to our overall investigation.
"Do it for Nora, and do it for her family to get them the closure they so desperately need.”
Anyone with information can get in direct contact with the investigative team through the dedicated Major Incident Public Portal.
You can also call on 101, quoting incident number 199 of October 8, 2025.
DCI Wood continued: “We understand that not everyone feels comfortable sharing their personal details and if you wish to report information anonymously you can do so via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting the Crimestoppers website. No one will know you have contacted them and your details will remain completely confidential.”