Man held over Wolverhampton house fire victim’s killing – BBC News
Image copyright Skidmore Family A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a nurse was strangled before being left in a house fire.
The 55-year-old man is being held in connection with the death of Lisa Skidmore, whose body was found in a bed at the Wolverhampton property.
Ms Skidmore’s body was discovered on Thursday at Mill Croft, Bilston, where her mother, 80, was also found beaten unconscious, West Midlands Police said.
The suspect, from Moseley, Birmingham, is currently in custody.
Ms Skidmore, a senior staff nurse, had worked at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust for nearly 20 years, most recently based in the community.
A post-mortem test on Friday confirmed she had been strangled.
‘Confused scene’
Last week, a spokesman for the NHS trust described her as a “kind, caring and compassionate nurse and an absolute credit to her profession”.
Det Supt Mark Payne, head of homicide investigations at West Midlands Police, said officers were alerted to her death by the ambulance service after the fire.
He said it had been a “very confused scene” and it had taken some time, together with the post-mortem examination, “to understand exactly what went on”.
Officers believe Ms Skidmore was fatally attacked before the fire was started in the first-floor bedroom.
Her mother, who police believe stumbled upon the intruder, was later taken to hospital with severe facial injuries.
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Det Supt Payne said Ms Skidmore lived alone but was part of a close family. He said the experience had been particularly “traumatic” for her mother and specialist officers were providing support.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-38126639