Kirstie Ellis murder inquiry: Woman found dead 'lay undiscovered for weeks'

A woman found dead at a property had been lying there for a number of weeks, police have said.

Kirstie Ellis, 35, was discovered by police at an address in Stanningley, West Yorkshire, after reports of safety concerns on Friday.

Her family said they were "heartbroken over the loss of such an amazing woman".

A man and a woman, both aged 35, were arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody, police said.

Det Ch Insp Marc Bowes, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "This is a tragic case and my thoughts are with Kirstie's family at this time.

"Our early investigations show that Kirstie's body had been in the property a number of weeks."

He said a post-mortem examination was due to be carried out to establish the cause of Ms Ellis's death.

In a statement, Ms Ellis's family said: "Our lives have been left shattered and turned upside down with the news that no parent wants to hear, that our gorgeous daughter is no longer with us.

"Kirstie Anne Ellis had a beautiful soul, a lover of music, socialising and having fun, her whole family is heartbroken over the loss of such an amazing woman. "

They appealed for anyone with information "no matter how small" to contact police and "help the investigation", before thanking the community for their support.

Mr Bowes said the force was interested in speaking to those who "saw anything suspicious around Stanhall Mews, from mid January 2022 onwards".

"We are particularly keen to hear from people who visited the Catalina garage on Bradford Road around this time and might have also seen or heard something that could help us," he added.

A police cordon remains in place around the property and also at Cumberland Road and Beancroft Road in Castleford, while extra officers continue to patrol the area, the force said.

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