Detectives have warned locals to secure their homes amid fears a woman found dead inside a sprawling detached house in a leafy suburb was murdered in a botched burglary.
The 38-year-old victim was discovered inside the sprawling detached property in Rookery Lane, Penn, Wolverhampton, on Friday afternoon.
She is believed to have been married to a company director and the mother of two young children.
Detectives said items are thought to have been taken from the house and in a statement warned residents to remain vigilante.
Police are warning the public to be on their guard after a post-mortem failed to reveal what killed a woman found murdered in a leafy suburb
On Sunday, one of the widows on the house was covered by a blue sheet and their was still a large police presence
The police cordon remained in place on Sunday. A post-mortem failed to reveal the cause of death
Detectives have issued a warning to homeowners in the wake of the murder
West Midlands Police also confirmed that a post-mortem examination had not revealed a precise cause of death, and further tests are now being conducted.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Mallett, from the force’s homicide unit, said: ‘We have a team of officers working on this murder inquiry to establish what has led to this woman’s death, and our efforts are concentrated on finding the person responsible.
‘We are keeping an open mind as to the motive for the attack.’
The officer added: ‘We have spoken to a number of people and we continue to trawl CCTV in the area.
‘The house has been sealed off so that our forensic experts can search for evidence, and we continue to make steady progress.
‘Our team of family liaison officers are with the woman’s family, who have been devastated by this traumatic event, and we will continue to support them as our investigation continues.’
Police are warning the public to be on their guard after a post-mortem failed to reveal what killed a woman found murdered in a leafy suburb
The woman is believed to have been married to a company director and is the mother of two young children. Police are pictured at the scene
Five police cars and a forensic tent could be seen outside the sprawling detached home in Rookery Lane, the Penn, on Friday
On Friday, five police cars and a forensic tent could be seen outside the ‘substantial’ detached home, where neighbours say the family moved five years ago.
One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said of the man who lived at the property: ‘I think he is a company director and involved in property in some way.
‘I’m not sure what the wife did but they definitely both worked. Its horrific what has happened and apparently it was a really gruesome scene.
‘This sort of thing doesn’t happen around here because its a nice and peaceful area.
‘I think the husband is staying with relatives with the children now as their house in a crime scene.’
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: ‘They’re a nice family that live there, fairly normal. His name is Sonny but I don’t know hers.
‘They have a couple of youngish kids that I see from time to time, but I can’t say that I know them massively well.
One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said of the man who lived at the property: ‘I think he is a company director and involved in property in some way’
The home has been sealed off for forensic examination and officers are conducting house-to-house enquiries in the road where properties sell for around £230,000
Police have sealed off the house in Wolverhampton where a woman was found dead as neighbours expressed their shock on Friday
‘They must have been here for five years or so and are just a normal couple.. I haven’t seen him or the children since it happened.
‘You’d see them from time to time walking around and smiling, doing ordinary family things. Often they would all go out together in the car for little trips.
‘There are a couple of nice cars on the driveway, so they’re obviously pretty well off.
‘I just hope the family are all ok – you hate to hear about little children worrying about their parents.’
Margaret Sampson, 62, said: ‘We haven’t heard a thing about what actually happened, other than the fact that the police cars are outside.
‘They came and knocked this morning to ask us what we knew about it, but that’s all we heard.
‘Everybody keeps themselves to themselves round here, but obviously people knew that house because they’ve put money into redeveloping it.’
Another resident, a 42-year-old father-of-one, said: ‘They’re an Asian family that live there, but round here nobody really talks to one another.
‘If it is a murder then obviously that’s extremely tragic. I think they have a little girl, so your heart goes out to them really.
Neighbour Margaret Sampson, 62, said: ‘We haven’t heard a thing about what actually happened, other than the fact that the police cars are outside’
One local, a 42-year-old father-of-one, said: ‘They’re an Asian family that live there, but round here nobody really talks to one another’
West Midlands Police said in a statement: ‘Emergency services attended but it quickly became apparent there was nothing that could be done to revive the woman and she was pronounced dead at the scene’
‘It’s hard to imagine what has happened, because it was obviously in the middle of the day and on the Friday.
‘The police asked us about CCTV footage, but we don’t have cameras so we couldn’t help them out too much with that.
‘You’d think that there would be cameras on the house itself, given that they’ve obviously done all of that work to it.
‘There’s no sign of a break in at the front of the house, so the person that has done it has either sneaked in through the back, or she’s let them in.
The home has been sealed off for forensic examination and officers are conducting house-to-house inquiries in the road where properties sell for around £230,000.
Anyone with information can call 101.