'Lovely' teenager, 16, found stabbed to death in park died in 'targeted attack'
A teenage girl who was stabbed to death in a park in a "targeted attack" has been described as a "lovely kid".
Brianna Ghey, 16, who was transgender, was found dead on a path at Linear Park in Culcheth, Warrington, by members of the public, on Saturday afternoon.
She had suffered multiple stab wounds in a "targeted attack" as police say they are "keen" to speak to a man and a woman who were seen in the park at around the time Brianna was found.
Earlier in the day she had spoken to her mum, but detectives said it was "too early to say" what the teenager was doing in the area and whether she had been to meet anyone.
In tributes, Brianna has been described as a "lovely kid".
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Police on the scene at Linear Park on Monday morning (William Lailey / SWNS)A gymnastics coach who knew Brianna when she was younger, told the Liverpool ECHO: "She used to come into the gym in the school and do gymnastics with us, she was a lovely kid."
Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Evans, of Cheshire Police, said there were "multiple lines of enquiry".
Police are appealing to speak to a man and a woman with dark, curly hair who was seen in the park where the teenager's body was found.
Tributes to Brianna have poured in from friends and wellwishers (Liverpool Echo)They are both described as being white, in their late teens or early twenties.
The man was wearing a longish dark hooded coat and the woman had a distinctive red or purple-black checked blanket-style coat, police said.
She was also wearing a long flowing skirt, dress or trousers, they added.
A boy and girl, both aged 15, have been arrested on suspicion of murder following Brianna's death (PA)Anyone who may have seen Brianna in the hours before her death has also been asked to contact the police to help them with their investigation.
Residents who lived in the area surrounding the park expressed their shock at the sight of an air ambulance followed by "armed police" in the area around the park yesterday.
Locals described seeing forensic investigators and dog search teams appeared to be scouring an open field.
The scene was still cordoned off on Monday morning (William Lailey / SWNS)Uniformed officers were still visible searching the area on Sunday evening.
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One resident living opposite the field said: "You do hope they catch them.
Police have described the incident as a 'truly awful' attack (PA)"I was just getting out of the car on my way home from work when I saw the air ambulance landing in the field.
"They started clearing people off the field with armed police, and you could see them searching with dogs throughout yesterday and today."
Another added: "The killer has to be local, you would have to know the area to be in that park. There are a lot of ways in and it splits into two levels where there was a railway track, it will be hard to track where they went."
Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward (Manchester Evening News)Detective Chief Supt Mike Evans said: “This is a truly awful attack on a 16-year-old girl, who has sadly lost her very short life. We are appealing for any information that will help us find who has done this to Brianna.
“In particular we are keen to speak to two people that were seen in the park where Brianna’s body was found who has been described as a white man and woman, in their late teens/the early twenties, both with dark curly hair.
"The man was wearing a longish dark hooded coat and the woman had a distinctive red or purple-black checked blanket-style coat and a long flowing skirt, dress or trousers.
A floral tribute at the entrance to Culcheth Linear Park (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)“We are also keen to speak to anyone who was in the park from around 1.30pm until 4.00pm yesterday or anyone who may have seen Brianna in the hours leading up to her death. We would ask people and businesses within the local community to check any CCTV or dashcam footage for anything that may aid our investigation.
“I would like to reassure the local community that we are working hard to find those responsible for Brianna’s death and we have extra officers in and around Culcheth supporting the investigation. We also have officers supporting Brianna’s family at this really tragic time.”
Information can be shared with the investigation team online here or by calling 101, quoting reference IML 1476832.
Information can also be reported anonymously, via Crimestoppers, at 0800 555 111.
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