A woman in her 80s was found dead inside a flat on Keepers Road in Devizes on Christmas Day, and a 63-year-old woman who was known to the victim has been arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to hospital with injuries that police say are not life-changing.
Police and emergency services were called to a flat on Keepers Road in Devizes, Wiltshire, at about 8.10am on Christmas Day after reports of a serious assault; the elderly woman was declared dead at the scene and Wiltshire Police said a 63-year-old woman known to the victim was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to hospital for treatment to injuries described as not life-changing, while detectives launched a major crime investigation and set up a cordon at the address.
Police response and immediate investigation
Emergency services — police officers and paramedics — attended the flat in Keepers Road early on Christmas morning after a report of a serious assault, and the victim was declared dead at the scene, according to Wiltshire Police as reported by ITV News and Sky News. ITV News reported the call came at around 8.10am and that officers undertook an urgent investigation that included house-to-house enquiries and a cordon around the property likely to remain in place into Boxing Day. Sky News and ITV News stated that the arrested 63-year-old was known to the victim and had been taken to hospital with injuries described as non life-changing.
As reported by Alan Smith for Wiltshire Police (statement via media briefings reported by ITV News and Sky News), “This is a tragic incident in which an elderly woman has lost her life on Christmas Day,” and investigators confirmed they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, according to ITV News and Sky News.
Local policing and community impact
Wiltshire Police said local residents would see an increased policing presence in the coming days and urged anyone with information or concerns to speak to officers, as reported by ITV News and Sky News. A cordon was established at the flat on Keepers Road and police said inquiries were ongoing to identify the victim’s next of kin, according to both outlets.
Scene management and investigatory steps
Media reports state the cordon and scene management were expected to remain in place beyond Christmas Day while detectives from the major crime investigation team carried out inquiries that will include house-to-house enquiries in the area, according to ITV News and Sky News. The Police have characterised the matter as an urgent investigation and have not named the victim or the arrested woman while inquiries continue, following standard practice reported across outlets.
Public statements and procedural details
Detective Inspector Alan Smith, cited in reporting by ITV News and Sky News, has been named as a spokesperson for the major crime investigation team and provided the statement that the force is not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident and that people should contact officers with any information. Reports from Sky News and ITV News also noted that inquiries were under way to identify the victim’s next of kin and that the arrested woman remained in hospital receiving treatment.
The Wiltshire incident has been covered by multiple national outlets; ITV News and Sky News provided matching factual accounts of the timeline, the arrest, the status of the injured suspect, and police actions at the scene, while The Telegraph also reported the arrest and death, reflecting the same core details as the other outlets.
The next procedural steps — according to the reporting outlets relaying Wiltshire Police’s account — will include forensic examination of the scene, follow-up house-to-house enquiries, continuing liaison with the victim’s next of kin once identified, and assessment of the arrested woman’s fitness to be interviewed once medical treatment is complete.
Reporting by ITV News and Sky News states that enquiries are ongoing and officers are to remain in the area while the investigation continues; no further details about motive, identities, or charges beyond the arrest on suspicion of murder have been released at this stage.
