Hayward Killing Stuns Neighbors

An 80-year-old woman who lived alone was found murdered inside her Hayward home late Sunday afternoon and police are working to piece together what happened.
 
The woman hadn't been answering her phone and concerned family  members found her body when they went to her home at 25352 Spring Drive to check on her at about 5 p.m., police said.
 
It appeared she had been shot, police said. Her name has not yet been released.
 
Sgt. Steve Brown said this afternoon the motive for the killing remains a mystery.
 
"Right now it's difficult for us to understand what the  circumstances were that led to the shooting," Brown said. "We've spent at least 15 to 16 hours at the crime scene ... evaluating the evidence with a  fine-tooth comb."
 
He said burglary is one possible motive but that evidence at the scene seemed to point away from that.
 
"There was plenty of cash and valuables that were left clearly in visible sight but weren't taken," Brown said.
 
Police are interviewing friends and family to get a better picture of the woman's lifestyle and habits. Brown said the victim was a grandmother  and a great-grandmother and has a number of family members in the area.
 
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call investigators at (510) 293-7034. The case marks Hayward's 11th homicide of 2010.