Detective Senior Sergeant Nicola Reeves:

Police are continuing their homicide investigation into the death of a woman in Bromley, Christchurch.

Valerie (Val) Heaney, aged 64, was located deceased on Monday 4 April in her Walcot Street home.

We acknowledge this is a distressing time for Val’s friends and family and everyone is anxious to know what happened.

Police can reassure the community we are working hard and following lines of inquiry to establish the facts surrounding her death.

Statement from the family of Val Heaney:

We are grieving the loss of a much-loved family member.

Our family has been inundated with support and we are grateful for this.

Val was a carer for people with intellectual disabilities, and a community
support worker, which is testament to the kind, wonderful person she was.

We are grateful to the support of the Police and Victim Support, and are
desperate to know exactly what happened to Val.

At this time, we are requesting complete privacy while we come to terms with
our loss.

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