A woman found dead in her Wolverhampton home on Friday has been named as 38-year-old Sarbjit Kaur – as West Midlands Police detectives continue to probe the circumstances around her murder.

Mrs Kaur was discovered unconscious by family members at the address in Rookery Lane at 4pm on Friday (16 Feb); she had been assaulted and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post mortem examination has so far not been able to identify the precise cause of death and further tests will be carried out by pathologists. Early enquiries suggest some items were taken from the home but officers say they are “keeping an open mind” on the motive for the murder. Detective Chief Inspector Chris Mallett, who is leading the murder investigation, said:

“Mrs Kaur was attacked inside her own home. This is a shocking case, the likes of which are extremely rare, and we have a team of officers working on this murder enquiry to establish what happened and to finding the person or people responsible.

“The motive so far is unclear and I’m keeping an open mind regards the circumstances…we are investigating several lines of enquiry including whether this was a random burglary or if the address or Mrs Kaur were deliberately targeted.

“The interior was in an untidy state – which could indicate it had been searched – and we believe that some items are missing. We are working with the family to understand exactly what items were taken.

“We have carried out CCTV and house-to-house enquiries, conducted an extensive forensic examination of the scene, and working with the family to establish the victim’s movements throughout the day.

"I would urge anyone who saw anything suspicious on Friday, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact my team on 101."

West Midlands Police’s Homicide Team can be contacted on 101 or anyone with information can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.