Mystery as decomposing body of Sheffield mum found with knife under her pillow

The body of a mum from Sheffield who left behind her six-year-old daughter was not found until up to four weeks after she died, a coroner's court has heard. After Alicia Douglass was found dead at her home on August 7, 2024, police initially arrested he ex-partner on suspicion of murder, but no charges came and the investigation was dropped.

But now Sheffield Coroner's Court has heard how the decomposition of Alicia's body after being left for two to four weeks made it hard for the police to understand the cause of death. The full circumstances are still not yet understood, with Hannah Berry, assistant coroner, concluding the reason as "open". The court heard evidence by DS Liam Milner that showed Alicia looking ill when she was last seen in July, being described as "yellow all over".

The Detective Sergeant also said that after she was reported missing by her friend, officers visited her home, where they found her lying across the bed with a knife under her pillow, and with several empty bottles of cider in the room.

Yorkshire Live reports a cousin of Alicia, Leanne Watts, told the coroner: "We understand the decomposition makes it difficult to determine certain evidence. The circumstances, to me, are suspicious in themselves. How can you explain it?"

Another cousin, Hayley Bates, called for the coroner to give a reason for her death. She told the court: "She had a troubled life, but she leaves behind a six-year-old daughter.

"If there's anything she got right, it was being a mum to Ava.

"Alicia's mum would like a reason for why her daughter died and to be able to tell Ava what happened to her mum."

The court also heard how just two weeks before Alicia was found, her ex-partner was charged following a domestic abuse incident a few months earlier in February.

DS Milner admitted that he was worried that the charge may have been "the catalyst for something that happened in the flat"; however, he said there was no evidence the man was involved, and there was "nothing at the scene that indicated any third-party involvement."

The court also heard from pathologist Dr Lumb, who found bruising around her neck from a factured larynx as well as evidence Alicia had taken painkillers, including tramadol and mitrazapine - types she had not been prescribed.

However, the decomposition meant that it was not possible to understand the quantities of the medicines used or whether the fracture contributed to her death.

The court was also shown a GP report that showed Alicia suffered from alcohol and painkiller abuse, was a victim of sexual assault, and had made several attempts to take her own life.

Assistant coroner Ms Berry concluded: "Alicia was last seen alive on CCTV on July 23. She had been dead for some time, and her body was decomposed. This made subsequent investigations difficult. Dr Lumb was concerned she may have been subjected to pressure to her neck, but was unable to confirm this.

"The police investigated this incident fully but did not find anything suspicious. The investigation found that friends and acquaintances reported Alicia was unwell. In particular, she was yellow and was vomiting. She had reported she was struggling to eat and was very thin.

"As a result, on the balance of probabilities, it cannot be said how Alicia died. There are many possible explanations, but on the balance of probabilities, it just cannot be said. So, with respect to the cause of death, I accept that of Dr Lumb, unascertained. My conclusion to Alicia's death is open."