Police believe woman found dead in Derry flat was murdered in 'horrific' attack
Police have urged anyone with any information to come forward
Police believe the woman found dead in a flat in Derry was the victim of 'horrific', 'brutal' and 'sustained' attack.
The woman's body was discovered after fire crews responded to a blaze in the Harvey Street area in the early hours of this morning.
Speaking to the media in Strand Road police station, Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Kelly said enquiries are "still in their early stages".
Chief Inspector Kelly said police have yet to identify the woman but they believe she may have been aged in her 40s to mid-60s.
He said: "From our enquiries so far, we can tell you that the victim suffered an horrific attack and sustained multiple injuries.
"We know this brutal murder has caused concern understandably. But we can ensure you that we are working at full pace to establish what happened and catch those responsible for this heinous and evil crime."
Chief Inspector Kelly said there will be an increased police presence across the city "in the coming hours and days".
The crime scene at Harvey Street remains in place as police continue their investigation.
A post mortem will be carried out to establish the cause of death.
Chief Inspector Kelly urged anyone with any information to contact police or Crimestoppers.
He said: "Were you in the Harvey Street area between 2am and 5am today? Did you notice or hear anything remotely suspicious, or see any unusual activity, including vehicles not normally in the area – or anything out of the ordinary?
"If you have any CCTV, doorbell or dash-cam footage from this timeframe, please contact us. I’m appealing directly to the local community to tell us anything you know. We need to find out who did this.
"Our enquiries are ongoing in relation to a motive and we need the public’s help. Any information, no matter how small it may seem, could be very helpful."
Call 101 quoting reference number 225 24/08/24 or submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.