Mother and disabled eight-year-old girl found dead in suspected murder-suicide pictured

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Detectives have named a mother and daughter who were found dead at a home in Salford.

Greater Manchester Police said the deaths of Martina Karos, 40, and severely disabled Eleni Edwards, 8, were not being treated as suspicious.

Their bodies were discovered when officers responded to a call for a concern for welfare on Radford Street in Salford shortly after 10.30am on Monday.

Tributes flooded in for the mother and daughter, with one friend calling Ms Karos “lovely and bubbly”.

She wrote on Facebook: “I am so sorry for the pain you have suffered some of which I can totally relate with. From the moment we met at the swimming pool, you became ‘Auntie Martina’.

“You did absolutely everything you could for your beautiful girl. You never gave up the fight and to hear this devastating news today has absolutely broken me.

“I wish I was there. I wish I could have been your shoulder to cry on and I could have helped you more.

“I’m so sorry life went this way for you. I hope you are both in a happier place. We love you so much.”

A fundraiser raising money for equipment for Ms Edwards claimed she had Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and suffered from regular seizures.

A neighbour, who did not want to give her name, said Ms Karos did not work and spent most of her time at home looking after her daughter.

“I didn’t see that much of her, I was at work all day,” the neighbour said. “All I could say was she was a loving and devoted mother to the little girl.

“Eleni was severely disabled and hugely dependent on her mum. She had a walking frame and she would walk with her mum up and down the street outside their house.

“A bus would come to take the girl to a special school each day.”

The neighbour added Ms Karos was “quite a closed person” and was last seen on Friday putting rubbish in the bin and mowing the lawn.

They added: “She would talk to most people, but she was very up and down in her moods. Sometimes she would smile and say hello and other times blank you.”

Recalling the moment police discovered their bodies, the neighbour said: “A police van arrived outside the house with lights flashing. I came downstairs to have a look then a policewoman knocked on the door and asked if I had seen my neighbour.

“Then the fire brigade came and got in at the back of the house, breaking the glass.

“After that the police came and asked us to go back inside.”

Another neighbour said she had once asked Ms Karos about her child’s father but was told they had “nothing to do with him”.

DCI Charlotte Whalley from Greater Manchester Police said: “My thoughts, and the thoughts of the entire investigation team, remain with the family of Martina and Eleni. It is such a tragic loss of life, and our main priority is keeping their loved ones updated throughout the investigation.

“A cordon remains in place on Radford Street and will remain in place whilst officers work in the area. We know there will be some disruption to the local community as a result of our scene, but it is so important that we do this, we need to be able to provide their loved ones with the information they need to process this news.

“We thank the public for their patience whilst we investigate and their compassion as flowers can be seen outside the property, showing the amount of support the family have from members of the community.

“We continue to conduct a full and thorough investigation, and at this time we are not actively looking for anyone else in relation to this case. We believe that there are no suspicious circumstances and we are working to conclude our investigation and pass a file to the coroner.

“If you have any information, contact us on 101 quoting log 998 of 23/09/2024.”

A Salford City Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the terribly sad news and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives.

“We’re working closely with Greater Manchester Police and assisting them with their ongoing investigation and our teams will be supporting both local residents and council staff who have no doubt been greatly affected by the events today.”

Anyone with information can contact the police on 101, quoting log 998 of 23/09/2024.