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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/02/bodies-of-two-children-and-woman-found-in-west-yorkshire-house
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| Murder inquiry launched as bodies of woman and two children found | Murder inquiry launched as bodies of woman and two children found |
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| A murder investigation has been launched after a woman and her two children were found dead in their home in West Yorkshire. | A murder investigation has been launched after a woman and her two children were found dead in their home in West Yorkshire. |
| Geraldine Newman, 51, was found dead by a concerned friend at her home with her son and daughter and now police have launched a triple murder investigation. | |
| Dozens of police officers and a forensic team surrounded the house in Beeston Way, Allerton Bywater, near Leeds, just before noon on Tuesday. | Dozens of police officers and a forensic team surrounded the house in Beeston Way, Allerton Bywater, near Leeds, just before noon on Tuesday. |
| West Yorkshire police said that detectives investigating the murders were liaising with police in North Wales following the discovery of a man’s body in Anglesey. The body was believed to be of the suspected killer. | |
| Newman, a supermarket store manager known as Gerry, lived in the house with her daughter Shannon, 12, and her son, believed to be about six years old. It is understood that Newman’s body was found by a friend who grew concerned after she had not been in contact for a few days. | |
| She found Gerry’s body downstairs and alerted police. Officers from West Yorkshire police then found another two bodies upstairs. | She found Gerry’s body downstairs and alerted police. Officers from West Yorkshire police then found another two bodies upstairs. |
| Police had earlier said the investigation was focused on a domestic incident and members of the public were not in any danger. | |
| At the scene, police vehicles surrounded a cordon that stretched across a row of terraced houses. | At the scene, police vehicles surrounded a cordon that stretched across a row of terraced houses. |
| Scene-of-crime officers wearing masks could be seen entering and leaving the mid-terrace property and a large group of plainclothes police officers held a meeting in the street. | Scene-of-crime officers wearing masks could be seen entering and leaving the mid-terrace property and a large group of plainclothes police officers held a meeting in the street. |
| Schoolgirl Chloe Firth, who knew Shannon, said: “I used to play out with her and her brother. Her dad also used to play out with us and we would play hide and seek. “She was a very happy and bubbly girl. Even though she went to a different school to me she was a really good friend of mine. “I didn’t really know her mum. She just spent most of her time inside. I think she was just making the house nice and tidy.”Chloe’s father, Sean, said: “The police knocked on the door this morning, but didn’t tell me what had happened. You don’t expect to see this on your doorstep; it is devastating. I’m lost for words. I don’t know what to say about it.”A tearful next-door neighbour said: “My neighbour told me that they had found the bodies, but I am too upset to speak about it now.” | |
| Wesley Rice, 38, who lives on the estate with his partner and their two children, said he met the family at Halloween when they went trick or treating. “We knocked on the door and the lady came out and gave the kids sweets. She seemed very nice,” he said. | |
| Rice said people living on the estate were mainly young professional couples with young children. | Rice said people living on the estate were mainly young professional couples with young children. |
| Meanwhile, a Wilko spokesperson confirmed that Geraldine Newman had worked for the company for 23 years as a “loyal and enormously respected member of the team”. The spokesperson said: “This is tragic news and has devastated everyone who worked with Geraldine as well as impacting team members across the company. “Our heartfelt thoughts and condolences are with her family, friends and colleagues at this very difficult time and everything is being done to support those team members who are affected by this tragic news. “This is now a matter for ongoing police investigation and we are giving them every support. For this reason, we can’t give any more details at this time.” | Meanwhile, a Wilko spokesperson confirmed that Geraldine Newman had worked for the company for 23 years as a “loyal and enormously respected member of the team”. The spokesperson said: “This is tragic news and has devastated everyone who worked with Geraldine as well as impacting team members across the company. “Our heartfelt thoughts and condolences are with her family, friends and colleagues at this very difficult time and everything is being done to support those team members who are affected by this tragic news. “This is now a matter for ongoing police investigation and we are giving them every support. For this reason, we can’t give any more details at this time.” |
| On her Linkedin profile, Newman said her family, especially her two children, were the “light of her world”. | On her Linkedin profile, Newman said her family, especially her two children, were the “light of her world”. |
| Her profile also revealed charitable work for the Yorkshire air ambulance and a number of cancer charities, as well as Age UK. | |
| Newman’s husband, Paul, 43, was not registered at the address with her but was instead living with his parents in nearby Normanton, Wakefield. | Newman’s husband, Paul, 43, was not registered at the address with her but was instead living with his parents in nearby Normanton, Wakefield. |
| At Paul’s parents’ address, an ambulance and plainclothes police officers were in attendance, but no one answered the door of the property. A neighbour living opposite the semi-detached house said she saw armed police on the street at lunchtime. DCI Warren Stevenson, of West Yorkshire police homicide and major enquiry team, said: “Postmortem examinations are yet to take place to establish the causes of their deaths, but the victims have died in suspicious circumstances and therefore we are treating their deaths as murder. Initial indications are that this is a domestic-related incident. | At Paul’s parents’ address, an ambulance and plainclothes police officers were in attendance, but no one answered the door of the property. A neighbour living opposite the semi-detached house said she saw armed police on the street at lunchtime. DCI Warren Stevenson, of West Yorkshire police homicide and major enquiry team, said: “Postmortem examinations are yet to take place to establish the causes of their deaths, but the victims have died in suspicious circumstances and therefore we are treating their deaths as murder. Initial indications are that this is a domestic-related incident. |
| “We are carrying out a full and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths and are conducting extensive inquiries. | “We are carrying out a full and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths and are conducting extensive inquiries. |
| “We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed anything in the area of the address in the period leading up to when the discovery was made this morning.” | “We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed anything in the area of the address in the period leading up to when the discovery was made this morning.” |