KEY POINTS:
Cathy Marlow, the New Zealand woman found slain in her London workplace at the weekend, died from asphyxiation, according to post mortem results released in London today.
Ms Marlow, 28, of Hawkes Bay, had been working for 18 months as a finance manager for the international market research
company Research Now.
The Daily Mail reported that a man arrested was believed to be a former colleague of hers.
Her father, Bernard, told the Herald from Hastings that the family had been told very little, except that foul play was involved.
"We've got no information other than that she's dead, and it's not straightforward.
"It's a pretty hectic time at the moment, as you can understand."
Police discovered the body of Ms Marlow on Saturday just before 10pm - the time she was supposed to be meeting friends in the city.
The Daily Mail newspaper said she was killed in an attack in the office showers of the research company for which she worked, in an office block on South Lambeth Rd, south London.
A 28-year-old man who called police, saying he had found the body, was arrested when officers arrived and found blood on his clothes.
Ms Marlow was on a day off, but police believe she went to the office to catch up on work and was killed between 1.30pm and 2.30pm.
It is not known whether her attacker was someone who had legitimate access to the building - which is shared with a recruitment consultancy - or an intruder.
One former colleague, Linda Norris, received a Christmas present from Ms Marlow in the mail yesterday morning.
"It was a bit of a shock - a scarf and card that said, 'Look forward hopefully to seeing you in 2007'. Wasn't to be though, was it?"
She said Ms Marlow sent many photos and emails of her travels.
"I have a photo behind me at work of her and a friend with [All Black] Carl Hayman in Paris. It's just like Cathy - when they saw them [the rugby players] coming out of a bar, she took off down the road for a photo."
Ms Marlow studied to Taradale High School and started working for the accounting firm Coffey Davidson in Hastings in 1998.
She then worked as an accounting technician for Atkinson Shepherd Hensman from 2001 until she moved to London in April 2004.
She indulged her love of travel by touring extensively around Europe.
Ms Marlow returned to New Zealand last year for a visit and caught up with her old colleagues.
"She was a lovely girl, a bubbly personality and one of those people everybody liked," said company co-director Peter Hensman.
Ms Marlow was active and played touch rugby and netball, but also worked hard, he said.
"Typical of her to be at work on Saturday."
Mr Hensman said she moved to London at the same time as three of her colleagues, and they all lived together for a time and socialised together.
"One of the girls contacted me to let me know," he said.
"She had been expecting to meet her on Saturday night and she didn't turn up. It's tragic."
Ms Marlow's employer in London, Chris Havemann, said: "We have no reason at this stage to believe she was targeted in a personal attack, but it is too early to say what happened."
Detectives are studying security-camera tapes from the building and the area and are seeking anyone who saw suspicious-looking people with bloodstained clothing in the area between 1.30pm and the time the body was found.
Police would not say whether there was any sign of a break-in or if Ms Marlow had been sexually assaulted.
Forensic officers were examining the scene.