A 50-year-old-man from Peterborough was arrested last night in connection with the murder of the book dealer, a development that followed the release of a 26-year-old man without charge on Saturday.
Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Kev Brown of the Major Crime Unit, said: “The investigation team would like to hear from anyone who has details about Mr Greenwood’s associates, or anyone or has had a personal or business engagement with him in the last few weeks.
“I would like to thank all those members of the public who have already come forward with information. A number of lines of enquiry are being pursued.”
Greenwood’s body was found inside the hallway of his home in Oxford’s Iffley Road on Thursday. Police officers and an ambulance service pronounced the 42-year old dead at the scene.
A post mortem concluded that the preliminary cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck.
Eclectic Interests
Greenwood had been a dealer for the last 20 years, specialising in rare books but had wide ranging interests that included taxidermy and works by Banksy.
Although after 2011 he increasingly focused on writing historical books and biographies, he continued to attend auctions and fairs.
According to his website, Greenwood had started out in the trade by buying British Rail lost property and selling the items at car boot sales around London. He then moved on to antique furniture before starting to sell books online in 2000.
His dealing activities had gained media attention on a number of occasions. In November 2010, one of Greenwood’s first edition Harry Potter books was stolen from a gallery in Oxfordshire, before later being found abandoned in a carrier bag outside a branch of Boots in Abingdon. The thief was subsequently arrested and jailed for six weeks.
In a separate incident, he clashed with J.K. Rowling’s literary agents after trying to sell a drawing Rowling had made of a little boy on eBay. He had purchased the item from Sotheby’s along with a hand-coloured invitation to Rowling's daughter's 2nd birthday party and a list she had made of potential character names for the first Harry Potter book.
In 2011, he offered for sale at £60,000 a bank safe upon which graffiti artist Banksy had apparently stencilled a parachuting rat.
Adrian Greenwood was last seen at alive at the Sainsbury's in Oxford Road, Kidlington on April 5.
Greenwood was last seen alive at the Sainsbury's in Oxford Road, Kidlington on April 5. Det Ch Insp Brown said: “We continue to urge for the public’s help to find out what happened to Adrian Greenwood. It’s crucial that anyone with any information about Mr Greenwood’s background or the murder comes forward as soon as possible.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the police via 101, quoting the reference number 582 (9/4). They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
