RESIDENTS at an Oxford tower block were on a tight lockdown again yesterday as police continued a murder investigation.
Anybody trying to get in or out of the 14-storey Foresters Tower in Wood Farm had to give their full names and flat numbers.
The cordon protected a crime scene where police are still working to piece together the tragedy that unfolded on Tuesday night.
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Police were first called at 9.15pm to reports that a 37-year-old had fallen from the top floor.
The man, whose identity has not been revealed, was pronounced dead at the scene.
After a search of the building that night, a 42-year-old woman was found in a fourth-floor flat.
She had ‘severe’ neck injuries and was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Yesterday officers could be seen in the foyer of the flats with clipboards.
A forensics tent was also still set up in the bin storage area where residents say the man fell.
Temporary bins have been put next to the building's entrance, where residents have been ducking under blue and white police tape.
Other stories about the murder investigation:
- Large police presence at Oxford flats
- Murder investigation launched after 'suspicious' tower block death s
One neighbour, who lives on the seventh floor, described the chilling sounds he heard on Tuesday.
He said: “I thought it was gun blasts, all I heard was duf duf duf – it was really loud. I looked down [out the window] and there was this bloke.
“My daughter was screaming because there so much commotion.
“It was honestly just such loud thumps. It looks as if he hit the bins, you can see a massive dent about two feet deep that wasn’t there.
“I only know one woman who lives on level four, I’ve not seen her since last week.
“She was nice, always gave my children a pound.”
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Another local, who does not live in the flats, rushed to the scene after seeing his friends were trapped in the building on social media.
He said: “I saw it all on Snapchat. My friend's aunty lives on the 14th floor so they went to see her and that’s when the police arrived and put the building on lockdown. They were all stuck inside.
“I saw the body when I got there but it was covered up by a white sheet.”
The block is on the corner of Pether Road and Wood Farm Road near Headington.
Other people who live nearby said the area was safe.
One local said: “It’s usually pretty good round here."
Police have reassured residents that they are not looking for anyone else in connection to the case.
Here are more photos of the scene:
The window is smashed on the 14th floor, after a man reportedly fell to his death
A forensics tent is still propped up in front of the bin storage area
The block of flats is owned by Oxford City Council
There are 14 floors and about 85 flats inside.
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