Businesswoman murdered at her home in 'ferocious' and 'targeted' knife attack

Crime scene: Police have cordoned off the house on Sunny Bank Road in Helmshore, Lancashire
Pat Hurst/PA Wire
Hannah Al-Othman17 January 2016
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A businesswoman was murdered in a "ferocious" and "targeted" knife attack at her Lancashire home, police said.

Mother-of-three Sadie Hartley, 60, who runs a medical communications business, was found stabbed to death in the hallway of her house in Sunny Bank Road in the picturesque village of Helmshore on Friday evening.

Ms Hartley was alone in the house at the time as her partner Ian Johnston, an ex-fireman, was abroad on a skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps.

Police have said he is not a suspect.

A 34-year-old woman from Chester was in custody on suspicion of murder on Sunday evening, but police said they do not think she was known to the victim.

Nothing is believed to be missing from Ms Hartley's home, a large detached, stone-built property worth £450,000, and there were no signs of forced entry.

Murdered: Sadie Hartley
Lancashire Police

Detectives said Ms Hartley died in a "targeted attack" and do not believe the motive was robbery.

Police, who are carrying out searches in the Chester area, are investigating the private and business life of the victim, who had two grown up daughters and a son.

Detective Superintendent Paul Withers, from Lancashire Police said: "She's a thoroughly decent lady, successful businesswoman who works very, very hard and she certainly didn't deserve to end her life in this manner.

"I don't feel this is a random attack, I think Sadie has been targeted by an individual who clearly had some issues with her for whatever reason and it is imperative we find out why this has happened.

"It was quite a ferocious attack on a lady at home alone. We are absolutely determined to identify who has done it so hopefully they will face the courts and a lengthy, lengthy custodial sentence.

"We are determined to get justice for Sadie and her extended family and her partner Ian.

"I genuinely believe the truth in this tale will come from this community."

Mr Withers said described the attack as "horrific" and one of the worst he had seen in his career.

A director of her own business, Hartley Taylor, based in Knutsford, Cheshire, Ms Hartley was last seen alive on Thursday when she attended a conference in Manchester with a colleague.

She communicated with a friend and work colleague around 7.30pm on Thursday evening, then stopped answering emails, which was unusual, and when a colleague became concerned, police were called.

Police believe she was murdered sometime on Thursday evening.

Officers and paramedics found her body around 10.40pm on Friday in the hallway of her house.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Saturday evening confirmed the cause of death as multiple stab wounds.

Police have appealed for help to identify a car and three individuals caught on CCTV in the area in the time leading up to the murder.

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