Lagan murder victim had been stabbed

The murder victim who was found in the River Lagan on Monday had been stabbed in the chest, a postmortem has revealed.

Police have made an application to hold a man in his 30’s for a further 24 hours.

Yesterday, a house at Rosevale Meadows in Lisburn was cordoned off and forensics teams have been searching the premises.

The murder enquiry was launched after the discovery of a woman's body in the River Lagan near Lisburn on Monday afternoon.

Police began searching the area around Lagan Island after "suspicious activity" was captured by CCTV cameras nearby. Blood was discovered near the river and police divers recovered the victim’s body at 12.40pm.

Detective Chief Inspector Raymond Murray, who is leading the inquiry, has urged anyone who was in the vicinity of Queen’s Road Lisburn or the Civic Centre – in particular between 10.30pm and 11.45pm on Sunday night – to come forward.

“We would urge anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in this area last night to get in touch as every piece of information, no matter how small, is vital,” he said.

Mr Murray added that all lines of enquiry were being investigated.

(GMcG)