Murder probe in Solihull after woman is found dead and man is hit by train
Police have launched a murder investigation after a woman was found dead at a house only yards from where a man died on a train line.
The 41-year-old man was hit by a train at Marston Green train station on Tuesday morning. Less than two hours later police discovered the body of a woman who had suffered fatal head injuries at a house in nearby Holly Lane.
Detectives are linking the two incidents.
The house is the registered address of 41-year-old Mark Findlay and 36-year-old Helen Findlay. Officers have said the woman, who has not yet been named, is believed to be in her mid-20s.
Next-door neighbour Stella Reece said she was shocked over the deaths and said she had not noticed anything unusual at the house.
“They were a nice normal couple. I found them to be very friendly, they were always very polite to me. They’ve lived there for about eight years and they seemed like a pleasant young family.”
She said the couple had two young children, a boy and a girl, who were both under ten.
“I didn’t have very much to do with them,” she added. “The children were always very polite.”
The couple were believed to run a company which sold children’s trading cards online.
Baldev Singh, who runs a supermarket opposite the house, said: “The man came into my shop last night. He seemed perfectly normal, he had his little girl with him. They were just a nice normal couple as far as I know. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him, he didn’t seem upset or anything.”
Forensic officers were at the house carrying out a search of the property. Two cars, a Seat Leon and a Ford Fiesta, were removed from the house by police during the search.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “The property has been sealed for forensic examination and part of Holly Lane has been closed to traffic while local inquiries continue.
“The deceased has yet to be formally identified but she is believed to be in her mid-20s. A forensic post-mortem will take place in due course to determine the precise cause of death.
“At this early stage of the inquiry, police are keeping an open mind about the cirumstances surrounding the death and any potential motive. However, the reported death of man on a railway line at Marston Green earlier in the day is being treated as significant line of inquiry in the police investigation.”
A British Transport Police spokesman said the man had been hit by a train bound for Holyhead.
He added: “We can confirm that a 41-year-old man died after being struck by a train at Marston Green rail station yesterday.
“The incident was reported at 11.17am and was attended by BTP, West Midlands Police and paramedics from the local ambulance service. The incident is being treated as an individual act.
“The train involved was the 11.09 Birmingham International to Holyhead rail service.”
