Hedwig Village Murder: Community Searches For Answers

HOUSTON, TX — It's a quiet, tight-knit community, and many elderly people live there in the large homes abundant in Hedwig Village. Today, residents there have one thing on their minds: the brutal murder of Janiel Bernard.

The 79-year-old woman was found by her maid on Monday afternoon; she had been fatally beaten and stabbed, and parts of her home had been ransacked. There were, according to an officer with the Hedwig Village Police Department, no signs of forced entry.

"It was a very brutal scene," Sgt. Marvin Collins said.

Officials believe that Bernard was murdered on Sunday evening; footage from a security camera shows her stolen red Cadillac, which was found on Monday in southwest Houston, leaving Bernard's residence between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.

"I don't think we've had an active homicide in this city since the 90s," Collins told reporters. "We have an older resident population in this area, and that has people worried, that has people concerned."

Police are working on the assumption that Bernard may have known her attacker, because neighbors said the 79-year-old woman was careful to always lock her doors.

"I'm told she's a real giving person, that she helps a lot of people that are in need," Collins said. "Now's the time to help her."

» For more on this story, see the Houston Chronicle. Patch will update as events unfold.

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