British grandmother stabbed to death in her Italian dream home ‘was found in her underwear beside bed and may have been killed in her sleep’: Cops hunt partner, 74, but say ‘there is no smoking gun’

The British grandmother stabbed to death in her dream home in Italy was found in her underwear on the floor next to her bed and may have been killed in her sleep, it has been claimed.

Michele Faiers, 66, was found lying in a pool of blood in her first-floor bedroom by her friend inside her rural home in the village of Verratti, near Casoli, a town in eastern Italy, on Wednesday. the morning.

The mother of two was found on the floor next to her bed, dressed in her underwear and covered by a white sheet, an investigative source told The Times.

There were no signs of a struggle and police are now investigating whether Michele was killed in her sleep, the source said.

Police are now pursuing Michele’s partner, Michael Whitbread, 74, a retired management consultant originally from Torquay, after he allegedly left the scene in the couple’s white Jeep Compass before police could question him.

But investigators said that while Whitbread is the prime suspect in Michele’s murder, “there is no smoking gun here.”

The couple had been living in the house in the countryside near the Palombara commune, where 100 British expats live, for the past four years and were described by local residents as “very private”.

“They had few friends in the village, probably due to the fact that they spoke little English,” the investigative source said.

Michele, a mother of two daughters, was found by a concerned friend who had traveled from the nearby Palombaro commune, where 100 British expats live, after they called her yesterday morning but received no answer.

Her friend had not heard from her for three days and was growing increasingly worried, so she decided to keep an eye on her, police said.

Neighbors said they heard her scream in horror when they found the 66-year-old woman in a pool of blood on the floor next to her bed and called the police, who arrived at the house in the countryside.

Michele was stabbed in the abdomen, although conflicting reports gave different accounts of how many times she was stabbed and exactly where.

“They found her on the floor of her bedroom, next to the bed, dressed in underwear and covered with a white sheet,” said a source in the investigation.

“There were no signs of a struggle and she was possibly stabbed in her sleep, but we await the forensic examination to find out more.”

Police found Michele in her first-floor bedroom and her house keys were reportedly still in the front door.

Police are now searching for Mr. Whitbread, who they fear has already fled the country, said Col. Alceo Greco of Italy’s carabinieri police.

Coroners are also carrying out forensic tests to investigate how long Michele was dead before she was discovered by her heartbroken friend. It is believed that she died on Saturday or Sunday.

Michele made her last post on her Instagram page on October 25, when she uploaded three photos of a spectacular sunset taken from the terrace of her home.

He captioned it “another beautiful sunset” and among the people who liked it was his partner Mr Whitbread.

Other images show the couple enjoying a winter holiday, skiing in the nearby mountains and in one snap they are seen with their daughter Harriet.

The couple also enjoyed several diving holidays together and Mr Whitbread is believed to be an experienced diver.

A local plumber the couple hired confirmed the Facebook identities to MailOnline and said: ‘I just can’t believe it.’ They seemed like such a perfect couple. We stayed in touch and messaged each other from time to time.

‘I live about 40 kilometers away and I heard the news from my friend who lives across the street from Michele and Michael. They found her stabbed and he is no longer there. I’m surprised.

‘The area is full of Brits and I have numerous British clients. They employ me to help install boilers and water pipes on their properties.

‘The last time I saw Michele and Michael was a year ago when I came to check the boiler. They had bought some abandoned properties in front of their house and were going to rehabilitate them. I just can’t believe it.’

Local prosecutor Mirvana Di Serio was at the scene yesterday and the house, which is on an isolated road in the countryside, was closed while police carried out a forensic examination.

A source told MailOnline: ‘The alarm was raised after a friend tried to call her this morning and, getting no answer, went to her house.

‘When he got there, he found the woman dead with a stab wound to the stomach and her screams alerted other neighbors and they called the police.

“They kept to themselves for the most part, but were occasionally seen walking their three dogs.

The nearby commune of Palombaro is home to 100 British expatriates who moved to the area to buy and renovate abandoned farms.

The wider Abruzzo region is popular with middle-class Britons who have moved there due to the low cost of living or have holiday homes there.

MailOnline has contacted the UK Foreign Office for comment.