Woman Recalls ‘Heartbreaking’ Moment a Facebook Post Alerted Her to Her Mother’s Killing
"I shouldn't have found out that way," said Karen Bassett of finding out about her mother, Ann Green's, tragic death
Becca Longmire
Fri, February 6, 2026 at 2:49 PM UTC
5 min read
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West Mercia Police
NEED TO KNOW
Karren Bassett's mother, Ann Green, was found dead at a residence in Wales on Sept. 27, 2025
Bassett revealed in a BBC interview on Friday, Feb. 6, that she first learned of her mom's death from a post on Facebook
"It was awful and I then had to pass the news on to other family members myself," she said, referring to how the handling of her mother's death spiraled as a result of the social media post
A woman in England is reliving the moment she found out her mother had been killed via a post on Facebook.
Karen Bassett, from the town of Chepstow in the county of Monmouthshire in the south east of Wales, has revealed she found out her mom, Ann Green, had died after being sent an article by a friend that had been published on social media, per the BBC.
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West Mercia Police previously confirmed that Green had been found deceased on Sept. 27, 2025, at an address on Apple Tree Close in the Herefordshire town of Bromyard, according to a news release. Police added that a 54-year-old man had been charged with murder.
The man charged is Green's partner, Julian Thomas, who is set to appear at Worcester Crown Court on Feb. 27, the BBC reported.
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Bassett told the outlet of finding out about her mom's death, "I received a message on 27 September from a friend who said 'I'm pretty sure this is where your mom told me she lives,' " adding, "She'd sent me an article from a certain place that had published it on social media."
"I read this article and the ages matched up so I commented that this was where my mom lives because it was a tiny cul-de-sac, literally everyone knows everyone," Bassett continued.
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"People were also writing 'RIP Ann' on the post and that's when I [realized] it was my mom," she told the BBC. "So I phoned my local police because I'm actually in South Wales and said I was pretty sure this was my mom that's been killed and they said they'd do some inquiries."
Having been told she'd be getting a visit from somebody from West Mercia Police in 40 minutes, Bassett said she "knew straight away" that it was her mom.
The mother of three told the BBC, "It was heartbreaking. I felt angry, I felt emotional, I felt like I had been let down. I shouldn't have found out that way," adding, "It was awful and I then had to pass the news on to other family members myself and I even had some family members asking me if it was Mom. It was just awful."
A West Mercia Police spokesperson said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, “We continue to extend our condolences [to] Ms Green’s family and loved ones during this extremely upsetting and difficult time."
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“The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) continues to carry out an independent investigation into our contact with Ms Green prior to her death, as well as steps taken by the force to notify her family of her death," they continued.
The statement concluded, “It would be inappropriate to comment while that investigation is on-going, but we will as soon as we are able to.”
Bassett told the BBC that she'd received an apology from West Mercia Police, but said, "I don't think it will ever be good enough."
"No-one should ever have to find out their loved ones have been taken through social media," she added to the outlet.
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An IOPC spokesperson said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, “Following the assessment of a referral from West Mercia Police we are investigating police contact with Anne Marie Green and her partner, Julian Thomas, prior to the death of Ms Green on 27 September 2025."
“We are examining the police response to several incidents which were recorded by the force, with Mr Thomas as the suspect and Ms Green as the victim, from February 2024 to September 2025," they added.
“Our investigation is considering the actions and decisions taken by West Mercia Police in relation to the appropriateness of risk assessments and safeguards put in place for Ms Green and if any actions or measures designed to safeguard Ms Green, were adhered to," the spokesperson continued.
They concluded, “We are also looking at the timeliness and steps taken by the force to notify Ms Green’s family of her death."
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Green's family previously said in a tribute released by West Mercia Police on Oct. 2, “We are mourning the loss of a wonderful mom, stepmom, wife, sister, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother."
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“Our mom was one of a kind. Always took in everybody as one of her own," they added. "She was kind, caring and as a family we are all lost without her."
“Losing her has left a great hole in our lives that can never be filled," the family continued. “We will now concentrate on grieving as a family and getting her the justice she deserves."
PEOPLE has reached out to Karen Bassett for further comment.
Read the original article on People