Film Director Found Stabbed to Death with Mouth Taped Shut, as Police Search for Her Missing Diamond Rolex: Reports

A female film director has been found dead at her home in London, with police now searching for an expensive Rolex watch they believe is missing from her property.

On Thursday, June 18, the Metropolitan Police confirmed in a release that they responded to a home in London’s Camden neighborhood on June 13 and found a woman with “stab injuries.”

“She was sadly pronounced dead at the scene,” the release added. 

Police identified the woman as 69-year-old Jennifer Abbott, known professionally as Sarah Steinberg, and said she was last seen by neighbors walking her pet Corgi on June 10.

A post-mortem examination carried out on June 15 said her cause of death was “sharp force trauma,” according to the release.

The BBC reported that Abbott was found by her niece and neighbors, with one local saying she had been left with tape across her mouth. U.K. newspaper The Times, also reported that Abbott was found wrapped in a blanket on her bed.

One neighbor told the publication and BBC News, “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 aunt in four days. Something’s wrong; break the door down.’ ”

“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.’ ” the neighbor continued. “She had tape across her mouth. Her corgi was locked in the bathroom for three days. That poor dog, he couldn’t even drink any water, it’s amazing he was even still alive.”

Related Stories

Woman Who Worked with Refugees Is Found Stabbed to Death. Moments Later, Her House Exploded

22-Year-Old Woman Shot Dead During Suspected Home Invasion as Her Father Breaks Down: ‘That Day, I Could Not Be Her Hero’

“While detectives are keeping an open mind about the possible motive for the murder, they are appealing in particular for information about a Rolex watch which they believe is missing from Jennifer’s address,” the authorities said in the release.

The luxury watch is said to have a “distinctive diamond-encrusted face,” the statement added.

According to The Times, Abbott was an award-winning film director and actor. She was best known for War of the Gods, a 2010 documentary about religion.

Photos on Abbott’s social media show her attending film events and alongside stars including Kate Hudson, Paris Hilton and Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters actor Dan Aykroyd, per the publication.

The outlet reported that it is understood Abbott had recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and may have undergone surgery shortly before her death.

Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in Camden, called Abbott’s death “awful.”

“It’s incredibly important that we hear from anyone who may have knowledge about how this awful death occurred,” Stewart said in a statement. “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.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.          

“Extra patrols continue in the area while my officers remain at the crime scene. I would urge anyone who has any information, or who may be worried, to speak to them,” the statement concluded.

At the time of publication, no arrests had been made in connection with Abbott’s death.