Neighbour's horror as mother found under living room floor
Friends and neighbours of the teenage mother found dead under the floorboards of a house today spoke of their shock at the discovery, as details of her life emerged.
Friends and neighbours of the teenage mother found dead under the floorboards of a house today spoke of their shock at the discovery, as details of her life emerged.
People living near the scene of the terraced house in Handsworth where Nicole Cartmell was found described hearing banging in the days before the body was found by police investigating a fraud.
They said they thought that Miss Cartmell, who is originally from West Bromwich, had been staying in the property with her boyfriend Steve Devesey, thought to be 20.
Police went to the house in Whatley Road on Wednesday as part of an inquiry over the suspected fraudulent use of her bank cards.
A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder has now been sectioned under the Mental Health Act. An 18-year-old man also arrested has been bailed
Neighbour Abi Campbell, aged 39, said: "It's horrible, they had only lived there a couple of months and seemed a nice couple.
"She had gone missing a couple of weeks ago and I'd heard lots of banging, but I just thought they were doing DIY because they hadn't been there long. "Her partner Steve had told me they'd broken up. I've heard she was found under floorboards, it's really shocking."
Miss Cartmell, who is believed to have been a student at Walsall College, gave birth to a boy in January.
Mechanic and business man Tracey Bucknor, 48 who has lived on Whatley Road for 20 years said: "It was only one panda car that turned up at first. It was when the second one turned up that a women officer went in and then ran out crying. By lunchtime the street was full of them.
"It is really awful, you don't expect things like this to happen where you live."
On her page on the social networking site Bebo, Miss Cartmell said she had the "most amazing boyfriend in the world".
Describing her interests, she wrote: "I love to dance, I'm the kind of girl you would see skipping and twirling down the street instead of walking. I sing all day, if you ever want me you can find me in my room with my music blasting."
