Woman, 56, stabbed to death before prime suspect, 18, hit by train

A woman was stabbed to death moments before the prime murder suspect was hit by a train.

Emergency services were called to reports of a crash in the village of Pangbourne, near Reading, at around 5.45pm yesterday (Thursday, 4 January).

They found a 56-year-old woman dead at the wheel, having sustained a fatal stab wound.

Advertisement

Approximately 30 minutes later, an 18-year-old man was struck by a train at nearby Pangbourne station. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and police launched an investigation.

A police cordon alongside Pangbourne station

The incident blocked the main line railway until the early hours of this morning (Friday), with significant delays at all stations – including Swindon and Chippenham.

A black-handled kitchen knife was forensically recovered from an electricity substation alongside the tracks.

A knife was recovered from an substation

Cops have also been combing a £2.5 million mansion, believed to belong to the murdered woman.

Thames Valley Police has today confirmed that the incidents were linked and that nobody else is being sought in connection with the murder.

A huge home was combed by police following the murder

In a statement, Detective Superintendent Kevin Brown said: “I would like to send my condolences on behalf of the force to loved ones of both at this extremely difficult time.

“We are in the very early stages of this complex investigation, but we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with either death.

“We are still investigating but are treating the two deaths as linked; we are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances of each.

“There is no wider threat to the public from these sad and tragic incidents.”

Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and get breaking news sent directly to your mobile – don’t forget to turn on notifications by clicking the bell icon.

Click a topic to read more stories like this:

Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News

By pressing the Subscribe button, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Advertisement