Two arrested after body of woman tragically found in Rochdale

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was tragically found dead in Rochdale.

The body of a 40-year-old woman tragically found dead on a footpath in Rochdale has now been confirmed as Kerry Newman.

The mum-of-two’s lifeless body was discovered in New Barn lane at around 4.30am on Monday, July 17th.

Police have arrested a 48-year-old man and 52-year-old woman on suspicion of murder and remain in custody for questioning.

Further enquiries also suggest that Kerry was taken from an address in Freehold to New Barn Lane in Rochdale where she was subsequently found deceased – the cause of her death is unknown.

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Smith from GMP’s Major Incident Team said: “Once again, my sincere and heartfelt sympathies to Kerry’s loved ones at this extremely difficult time.

“Our officers and specialist officers are supporting her family as this investigation continues and we will do everything we can to make sure we get justice for Kerry.

“The investigation into Kerry’s tragic death is moving at pace and we want to ensure justice is sought for Kerry and her loved ones. We are continuing to exhaust all possible enquiries and because of these efforts we have been able to arrest two suspects and they remain in custody for questioning.

“We are continuing to appeal to anyone with information relating to this incident to please come forward.

“This includes any witnesses, anyone with knowledge of the incident, CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage in relation to this incident. Any information you have may bring us one step closer to getting justice for Kerry.”

A dedicated Major Incident Public Portal has been opened to receive information, and you can directly submit images and mobile phone, dash-cam, or doorbell footage. You can access it here.

Alternatively, the Major Incident Team can be contacted on 0161 856 4338 or report on our website using the ‘report’ tool: www.gmp.police.uk

The independent charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.