Zimbabwean woman was strangled in UK

A POST-mortem report has revealed that a Zimbabwean woman based in the United Kingdom who was found dead last month was strangled and her husband was found hanging at their Leicester home.

This follows false social media reports which claimed that Lorraine Mbulawa Sanchez (27) shot and killed her Caribbean husband Jesus Sanchez (31) before turning the gun on herself.

The reports also falsely claimed that the woman had a mental illness.

However, an inquest in the UK heard that the bodies of the couple were found by a family friend who went into the house through an open window.

The inquest, presided over by assistant coroner for Leicester and South Leicestershire, Dr Christina Swann, heard that Mbulawa, who was born in Zimbabwe, was found face down on a bed, while Sanchez was found hanging on an upstairs landing.

The media reports said Mbulawa died due to compression of the neck.

The reports said a family friend broke into the couple's home shortly before midnight on November 27 when he became concerned after not having heard from them.

According to the reports, Detective Inspector Jonathan Blockley of Leicestershire Police's Major Crime Unit, said Mahlon Hector went to the couple's home with family members, and found Mbulawa's body on November 27.

"A family friend, Mahlon Hector, who had not heard from the couple, attended the scene. He noticed an upper window was insecure, although the rest of the house was secure. He got a stepladder and managed to get in through a window and identified Lorraine lying face down on the bed.

"He opened the locked front door to allow in paramedics who attended and confirmed she was deceased. The post mortem examination was conducted by Dr Michael Biggs on Wednesday, November 28," said Detective Inspector Blockley.

According to the post mortem conducted on Mbulawa's body, the provisional cause of death was compression of the neck and further toxicology and histology tests will be carried out on samples.

In the second inquest Detective Inspector Blockley told the coroner that Sanchez, who was born in the Dominican Republic, had been found at the couple's home at the same time.

"Sanchez was found hanging. Paramedics confirmed life was extinct. The post mortem examination, conducted by Dr Michael Biggs, on Wednesday, November 28 gave the provisional cause of death as hanging, pending further toxicology and histology reports," he said.

Detective Inspector Blockley added that further investigations and inquiries were being carried out into the deaths.

Dr Swann, who authorised the release of both bodies to the families, suspended both inquests, provisionally until May 10 to allow the police to continue their investigation into the couple's deaths.

In a statement posted on its Facebook site, St Matthews Seventh Day Adventist Church said it was deeply saddened by the loss of their members.

"Their passing has caused shock, hurt and grief to all of us who knew them. We as a church will continue to provide support and prayers for all of those affected at this time. We continue to place the respective families before God during their time of grief, who alone can bring peace and healing," said the church.