An award-winning film director who was stabbed to death in her home in London had moved to the capital after ‘losing everything’ from her life as a ‘movie star’.
Jennifer Abbott, 69, was stabbed to death in her council flat in Camden on Friday just days after she was last seen by neighbours walking her pet Corgi Prince.
She was discovered wrapped in a blanket with tape over her mouth by her niece and neighbours, who broke into her home after growing concerned for her welfare, pals said.
The Metropolitan Police are now hunting for her killer, who is believed to have made off with her diamond-encrusted Rolex after it went missing from her address.
Locals told MailOnline Ms Abbott, known professionally as Sarah Steinberg, had lived at the address for over 10 years, having moved over from the US where she would often rub shoulders with A-list celebrities.
Pictures from her social media profiles show her cosying up to Hollywood stars including Paris Hilton, Kate Hudson and Dan Ackroyd, while she also won an award for writing and directing a documentary about war.
Her next door neighbour Laura, 34, said: ‘She was a movie star. She was in a couple of movies. She used to live in Beverly Hills.
‘She said she came over here and lost everything. Everything was stolen off of her.’
‘I live right next door to her. She was a friend of mine. I used to walk her dog when she was sick,’ the hairdresser added.
‘I wasn’t here – I was at my boyfriend’s when it happened.
‘I am literally gobsmacked. Who would do that to someone?
‘If I was there I maybe could have done something.’
Forensics officers were seen carrying several bags of miscellaneous items from the victim’s flat on Wednesday evening.
Police officers were also spotted clearing an area next to the block of flats of branches and leaves.
Neighbour Billie Currie, 63, said he had heard a dog barking for most of the night days before Ms Abbott’s body was found.
Mr Currie told MailOnline: ‘She was always walking the dog and was really nice. She was quite reserved but very friendly.’
Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said she heard screaming from Ms Abbott’s niece while she was trying to gain entry to her flat.
Her son then grabbed a metal pole to bash down the door before making the grim discovery.
Ms Abbott’s Corgi Prince was found locked in the bathroom after miraculously surviving on its own for up to three days.
The neighbour added: ‘I heard the girls banging on the door and heard her shouting “help, help”.
‘She was a vibrant, spritely, and intelligent person. We would talk about a lot of things – politics, current affairs, her likes and dislikes, we knew what each other liked.’
She told about Ms Abbott’s colourful career where she has been a doctor, and was even involved in the film industry where she directed the movie War of the Gods.
‘She got interviewed in LA about this movie,’ she said.
‘She was known as Jenny or Janet and was quite mysterious.’
But heartbreakingly, the neighbour revealed Ms Abbott is thought have recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Another neighbour said the area had recently had issues with homeless people breaking down their doors.
He said: ‘I think she had an operation and it went wrong or something and they had taken out a part of her intestines.
‘There used to be a lot of homeless, breaking in doors, sleeping inside, going to the toilet.
‘Before it was all the time. Community police would come all the time. But not much anymore.’
Another friend said Ms Abbott had recently spoken and broken down in tears saying she was too scared to go to sleep.
She added: ‘I remember her saying to me that once she had tried coming out of the flat and couldn’t get out because of all the druggies out there.
‘It was a dark day when that happened. It’s not about me, I feel for her and her son and her niece who had to see her like that.
‘I can’t believe I’m not going to see her again.
‘We will miss her running around. I mean she was indoors a lot but she made herself known. She’d talk to everyone.
‘Her niece said she had a lot of jewellery so the police need to check if anything else is missing.
‘To put the dog in the bathroom and then shut her up by putting the tape across her mouth and then they ransacked her house.
‘I’m not surprised she had a Rolex. She was a woman of taste who liked to have a lot of nice things.’
The Met police are urging any witnesses to come forward with information that could help identify the attacker and the events leading up to her death.
Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in Camden, said: ‘We are working closely with our colleagues in the homicide team to establish exactly what happened and it’s incredibly important that we hear from anyone who may have knowledge about how this awful death occurred.
‘Were you out in Camden on Friday? Perhaps you had been coming home from work, or at an event nearby? Did you see or hear anything around Mornington Place that struck you as being unusual?
‘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.
‘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.’
