Fauvrelle family were in house when pregnant woman killed | UK news

A woman in the advanced stages of her pregnancy was stabbed to death in her bedroom with her entire family in the home, Scotland Yard has announced.

Her baby son, who was named Riley by the family after being delivered by paramedics via a caesarean section at the scene, died in hospital early on Wednesday morning.

Kelly Mary Fauvrelle, 26, was eight months pregnant when she was murdered at her home in Raymead Avenue, Thornton Heath, in south London, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Riley’s father, who did not live with Fauvrelle, was with him when he died on Wednesday and is not being treated as a suspect at this stage, according to the force.

As part of what police admitted was a “fast-paced” and “extremely challenging investigation”, CCTV footage was released by the Met on Wednesday showing a possible suspect wearing light-coloured clothing, including what appears to be a hooded top, walking towards the address at 3.11am before sprinting away towards Colliers Water Lane, just off from the high street, about 10 minutes later.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder. One, aged 37, was released with no further action, and a second, aged 29, has been released on bail until early August.

The MP for Croydon North, Steve Reed, said during prime minister’s questions on Wednesday: “The police now believe this may have been a random attack by someone unknown to the family.”

In response, Theresa May said: “We were all shocked when we saw this terrible act.”

The force are appealing for anyone who may know the potential suspect to contact them, whilse officers retain an open mind as to whether Fauvrelle’s attacker was known to her.

Detective Ch Insp Mick Norman said: “We need to identify the man shown in the footage urgently, even if only to eliminate him from our inquiries. I need to hear from anyone who knows who he is. If this is you, it is imperative that you contact my team immediately.”

He explained how the Royal Mail worker’s family heard her screams at about 3.30am, alerting them to the attack. However, when Fauvrelle’s sister entered the ground-floor room there was no one else there.

“It was a savage and sustained attack on a clearly and obviously heavily pregnant woman, which has had catastrophic results,” Norman said. “She has suffered from multiple stab wounds. When the family got into her room, she was clearly critically injured.”

He said Fauvrelle’s whole family – her mother, two brothers, as well as her sister and the sister’s baby son – were in the house but none of them witnessed the attack, while the murder weapon, which could be a kitchen knife, has yet to be found.

“The attack took place in Kelly’s bedroom on the ground floor and at the rear of the premises … In terms of access there is a communal passageway and potentially the obvious access point would be through the kitchen,” he said. “There is no sign of a forced entry but that does not mean, through accident, the premises were insecure.”

A dedicated team of detectives are working “day and night” to develop a detailed picture of Fauvrelle’s life in order to find the person responsible for her death.

“What is very clear is she was very happy to be pregnant,” Norman said. “She was very much looking forward to being a mother. She was popular but also a very private person.”

He explained that police and paramedics did “everything they possibly could to try to save Kelly’s life” but they delivered the baby when it became clear they were going to be unsuccessful.