Val Heaney's house has come under intense police scrutiny as they piece together how she died. Photo / George Heard
The family of a Christchurch woman killed in her home have paid tribute to a "kind, wonderful" woman.
Val Heaney, 64, was found dead inside her Walcot St home in the suburb of Bromley last Monday evening.
A police investigation into her death - dubbed Operation Bath - is ongoing.
To date, no arrests have been made.
Heaney's family said today they were "grieving the loss of a much-loved family member".
"Our family has been inundated with support and we are grateful for this.
"Val was a carer for people with intellectual disabilities, and a community support worker, which is testament to the kind, wonderful person she was.
"We are grateful to the support of the police and Victim Support, and are desperate to know exactly what happened to Val."
Detective Senior Sergeant Nicola Reeves said the investigation was progressing.
"We acknowledge this is a distressing time for Val's friends and family and everyone is anxious to know what happened," she said.
"Police can reassure the community we are working hard and following lines of inquiry to establish the facts surrounding her death."
Neighbours told the Herald they heard yelling and "high-pitched voices" at Heaney's property the day before the landlord, isolating with Covid-19, was found dead.
Her death was originally being treated as suspicious.
But on Thursday night Reeves confirmed that a homicide investigation was underway.
The killing has left locals on edge and in fear while police ramp up an intense investigation.
"This is CSI stuff here," one local said on Friday.
"What you see on TV has all been happening here."
A large police cordon has surrounded the pink brick property, with a blue police tent erected on the footpath and a mobile police base parked outside.
Investigators have been seen focusing on a screen door on the side of the house.
A post-mortem was completed last week.
Heaney had lived in Walcot St for decades and started running her family home as a boarding house after her husband Gavin died around 13 years ago.
The experienced carer preferred to get "mature age group" boarders, according to previous advertisements and it's understood that three or four people would be living there at a time.
Her daughter Natasha, who had Down syndrome, died last year.
Heaney had worked as a carer for people with intellectual disabilities and as a community support worker at Brackenridge, a Christchurch charity helping people with learning disabilities and autism.
One neighbour spoken to by the Herald said there had been yelling and "high-pitched voices" last Sunday afternoon.
But it wasn't an unusual occurrence, he said, and "not enough to put us on edge".
He believed many people would've been indoors at the time watching the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup final between Australia and England which was being played across town at Hagley Oval.
Police arrived at the house on Monday night and found Heaney's body.
Since then, the house has been the scene of intense police scrutiny.
"It's a shock and a surprise to us. We're just dumbfounded by it all," a neighbour said.
"It's mindboggling to be next door to this sort of situation."
The killing has left locals on edge.
"It's one of those quiet little streets," one neighbour said.
"My biggest concern is whether we're in any danger."
He had raised his concerns with police who tried to allay his concerns.
