A brother and sister found dead in a suspected double murder in Stoke-on-Trent have been named as 11-year-old Ethan John and seven-year-old Elizabeth John. Tributes came in from the children’s schools, who described Ethan as a ‘wonderful’ boy and Elizabeth as a ‘ray of sunshine’.
Their shocking deaths came after police visited a home in the West Midlands town yesterday following an earlier stabbing at a car wash. At the home, they arrested their mother, 49, in connection with the stabbing. However, they also found two people unresponsive with serious injuries. They died at the scene despite the desperate attempts of paramedics.
Now police have confirmed the dead bodies belonged to two young children. The woman was further arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody. Police say she is related to the children – though no further details have been released on her identity.
Ethan’s school said: ‘Ethan was a wonderful member of our school community. He had impeccable manners and an infectious smile. ‘He will be hugely missed by the staff and pupils alike and will forever be part of our hearts.’ In a tribute to Elizabeth, her school said: ‘Elizabeth was a kind, caring and friendly member of our school family.
‘She was a ray of sunshine who always had a smile on her face. She was everyone’s friend – she was both bright and popular. ‘The loss of Elizabeth is truly devastating for us all and her absence will leave a huge hole within our school community.’ Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Hannan said: ‘I cannot begin to imagine the pain and suffering felt by the family and friends of these two children at this time.
‘Specially-trained officers are continuing to support those closest to the children whilst we find out more about what happened yesterday afternoon. ‘I’d like to thank those who have already come forward with information and to the local community who have been respecting the cordon in place on Flax Street. ‘We are solely focussed on finding out what happened to these two children and supporting those affected by this deeply traumatic incident.’
The 49-year-old woman from Stoke-on-Trent, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, remains in custody at this time and is being questioned by officers. Police say they are particularly interested in any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area of Flax Street and Campbell Road between 1.30pm and 2.30pm.
Flax Street is where the bodies of the children were found while Campbell Road is where the alleged car wash stabbing took place. The force said it has made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to recent police contact.
Officers were first called to the car wash on Campbell Road in Stoke-on-Trent at 2:04pm today following reports of an assault involving a man and a woman. A man in his 40s was rushed to hospital by paramedics but his injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.
