'Rest in peace beautiful' - Tributes for Sheffield woman as detectives quiz pair over Skelton Close murder

‘Devastated’ residents have begun to pay tribute to a woman whose body was discovered at a Sheffield flat on Monday, as a man and a woman arrested over her murder continue to be quizzed by detectives.
By Sarah Marshall
Published 23rd Feb 2023, 12:22 BST
Updated 23rd Feb 2023, 12:22 BST
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The body of 49-year-old Sarah Brierley was found by police officers after they forced their way into a property in Skelton Close in the Woodhouse area of Sheffield just after 8am on February 20, 2023.

The results from a forensic post-mortem show Ms Brierley died of serious head injuries.

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Shocked members of the community have responded to the news of Ms Brierley’s tragic death, as a 39-year-old man and 38-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of her murder continue to be questioned by detectives today (Thursday, February 23).

Sarah Brierley's death in Woodhouse, Sheffield, is being treated as murderSarah Brierley's death in Woodhouse, Sheffield, is being treated as murder
Sarah Brierley's death in Woodhouse, Sheffield, is being treated as murder

Charley Mae is among those who have paid tribute to Ms Brierley.

“So devastating she only lives 10 minutes up road from me rest in peace beautiful,” Charley said, in a post online.

JoLou Smith added: “Rip gone too soon.”

Kim Furniss said: “How tragic my heart goes out to her family. RIP.”

Natalie Littlewood continued: “Heartbreaking...Rip.”

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Two other people, a 42-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, both arrested shortly after the discovery of Ms Brierley’s murder on Monday, have now been released on bail.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said the force’s investigation into Ms Brierley’s death is ‘continuing at pace’ and urged anyone with information to get in touch.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles who is overseeing the investigation said on Tuesday: “We continue to carry out work to establish what happened to Sarah, and the events which led to her death. Our officers are working hard to piece this together and two people remain in custody and are assisting with our enquiries.

“Our activity in the area will continue in the coming days while we gather information and speak to residents. We continue to ask anyone that has any information, no matter how small, to get in touch.”

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You can contact the force via their live chat, online portal, or by calling 101 quoting incident number 145 of February 20, 2023. Access their webchat and online portal here: https://smartcontact.southyorkshire.police.uk/

Alternatively, if you would prefer not to give your personal details, you can stay anonymous and pass on what you know by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers. Call their UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111 or complete a simple and secure anonymous online form.