Murdered : Valerie Graves , 55 , was killed while house-sitting in West Sussex in December 2013 . More than 2,000 men have come forward to give their DNA to eliminate themselves from the hunt for the murderer of a grandmother . Valerie Graves , 55 , was killed while house-sitting over the Christmas period in 2013 and forensic experts were only able to form a limited DNA profile of the murderer from the evidence they gathered - establishing it was a man . The mass DNA screening in January and February asked all men aged over 17 who live , work or visit Bosham in West Sussex , to provide a sample and a thumbprint as part of the investigation . Artist Ms Graves was found dead in a bedroom in Smugglers Lane , Bosham , on December 30 2013 . So far 1,432 men have been eliminated from the enquiry and will receive emails or letters thanking them for providing their DNA . The village Ms Graves was murdered in - Bosham - is a favourite with ITV drama Midsomer Murders . In total , 2,042 men came forward to give samples of their DNA . Due to the volume of samples , eliminating those who have come forward can take up to two months . Detective Superintendent Nick May , of Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team , said : 'We want to thank all those men who attended the voluntary sessions in Bosham , Fishbourne and Chichester over the three-weeks to give their DNA . 'The response has been positive . 'The process of elimination due to the volume of samples , can take up to two months , although this can sometimes be quicker and we have already given results to more than 1,200 men . 'We expect to give more results over the coming weeks . Hunt for killer : More than 2,000 men have come forward to give their DNA to eliminate themselves from the hunt for the murderer . 'We still need those men who have not come forward to do so . 'We will be doing house-to-house enquiries and knocking on doors during a week of action from 6 to 12 April asking those who have not given their DNA to consider doing so . 'If we do n't get a reply we will also be sending out further letters asking them to attend Chichester police station to give their DNA . 'We have to be tenacious in our efforts to catch the killer . 'But we do understand that this is an entirely voluntary process and there is no compulsion for anyone to co-operate with us . 'We simply want to do the best we can for Valerie 's family and for the community in bringing the killer to justice . ' Ms Graves , 55 , was staying at the property with her sister Janet , 60 , Janet 's boyfriend Nigel Acres , 59 , and her mother , Eileen , 87 , when she was killed with a claw hammer . Cleared : So far 1,432 men have been eliminated from the enquiry after giving DNA samples . The artist - who had just moved to West Sussex from Scotland - had gone to bed at 10pm on December 29 , 2013 . Twelve hours later , on December 30 , 2013 , her sister found her dead in a ground floor bedroom at the rear of the house . A post-mortem examination revealed the grandmother had suffered significant head and facial injuries at the house in Smugglers Lane . Despite extensive investigations by police , her killer still remains at large . Forensic scientists have obtained a limited DNA profile for the murder suspect , which although not suitable for a search on the National DNA Database , indicates the suspect is male . A police officer stands outside the house where Valerie Graves was murdered on December 30 2013 . As well as being swabbed for their DNA , people volunteering also have their thumbprint and photograph taken . Detective Constable Steve Taylor from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team said : 'It is important for the public to understand that we will only use the samples obtained to check against this particular crime and their DNA profile will not appear on any database . 'Legal safeguards are in place to ensure we do not use them for any other purpose . ' Anyone with information about the murder of Valerie Graves is asked to call 101 and quote Operation Ensign or to call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 .
Valerie Graves was found dead while house-sitting in West Sussex in 2013 . Artist , 55 , went to bed at 10pm and her sister found her body 12 hours later . Postmortem exam revealed she suffered significant head and facial injuries . Forensic scientists have limited DNA profile of killer but know it was a man . So far 1,432 men have been eliminated from enquiry thanks to DNA tests .