Murder victim's death unexplained

Beverley Parkhouse stayed with her father several times a week

Police investigating the murder of a 45-year-old mother from south Wales have still not found the cause of death, a coroner has been told.

Beverley Parkhouse "appeared free from injury" when her body was found in a bedroom where a fire had been started in her father's house in Ogmore Vale.

The Pontypridd inquest was told three post-mortem examinations had taken place since the death in September.

Det Insp Richard Jones said police inquiries were still going on.

Ms Parkhouse, who worked for 20 years at a local nursing home, was found dead on 4 September at her father's home after she spent her last evening at the Top Club in Nantymoel, near Bridgend.

Carbon levels showed that she was not likely to have been alive at the time of the fire Det Insp Richard Jones

Det Insp Jones told the hearing Ms Parkhouse lived in Ogmore Vale but would stay with her father a few nights a week.

"She spent the night of 3 September with her friends in Nantymoel," he said.

"She went back to her father's house at 11.30pm.

"Her father said she had been drinking but was not intoxicated."

The police officer said her father went to investigate when Ms Parkhouse had not risen at 1130 the next morning, and found his daughter lying dead in her bed.

The emergency services were called and it was noticed that a small fire had been started in the room, but the victim's body appeared uninjured.

Mrs Parkhouse was found at her father's home (L)

The first post-mortem was carried out the next day, but the cause of death could not be ascertained.

But Det Insp Jones said: "Carbon levels showed that she was not likely to have been alive at the time of the fire."

He said a second post-mortem was carried out and still the death could not be fully explained. Police then launched a murder inquiry.

He said: "Items of property expected to be present were not accounted for. It's being treated as murder."

Det Insp Jones said police officers were carrying out further lines of inquiry and were keeping an open mind

He added: "A male has come forward and said he was with her after her father had seen her. He has been questioned and released on bail."

He said a further post-mortem had been carried out. But, asked by the coroner: "No cause of death?," the officer replied: "At this stage, no".

The coroner issued a certificate to release the body to the family for a funeral to take place and adjourned the inquest.

Mrs Parkhouse's husband Andre, 45, has previously appealed to the public for help to catch his wife's killer.