A woman of 20 has been questioned by police over the murder of a mother of two found with her throat slashed.
Jabeen Younis’s body was discovered at her home on Friday by police following a tip-off.
It is understood that her six-year-old son may have been with her when she was killed.
Friends said Miss Younis, 30, had been planning a new life following the breakdown of her marriage after only five months.
She had recently separated from her husband and was hoping to return to her native Pakistan for a fresh start, they said.
Last night, as the 20-year-old woman was released on police bail until Thursday, Miss Younis’s home, in Oldham, remained sealed off.
Sources said the murder was a ‘domestic’ incident but refused to elaborate.
A post-mortem examination revealed Miss Younis died of multiple stab wounds.
Miss Younis, who also has a nine-year-old daughter, moved to Oldham from Pakistan around ten years ago.
She is divorced from the children’s father and remarried last year but recently ended the ‘turbulent’ relationship.
One friend, who did not wish to be named, said he had spoken to Miss Younis, who worked in a furniture store, less than 24 hours before her death.
He said: ‘Her marriage was over and she wanted to go back home to get away from it.
‘I’d been on the phone with her helping to arrange it all and she was looking to leave very soon.
More...
British woman arrested in Buenos Aires for ‘smuggling £100,000 of cocaine in her genitals’
Warning over party drug dubbed 'Dr Death' after the 'super strength ecstasy pill' is linked to deaths of oil rig worker and her partner
She was a nice girl who just wanted the best for her children and for them to lose their mum is just unbelievably tragic.’
Nearby residents have described dramatic scenes as police cars raced to the scene after receiving a 'concern for welfare' call
Extra patrols have been stepped up in the area and a team of detectives are working to establish the circumstances leading up to the death
Police have said a murder investigation was underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding her death.
Another friend said: ‘Jabeen had problems, I saw her with a black eye not so long ago.
A large section of the residential street was cordoned off throughout the day as forensics officers combed the house for clues
‘She was very strong and wouldn’t put up with any nonsense. She was westernised, a lovely girl who was always there for her kids.’
Damian Salt, Miss Younis’s boss, said: ‘She was very friendly and happy, really bubbly and talkative. I’m devastated and in shock.’
Neighbour Brian Kelly, 61, said: ‘It’s a shocking thing to happen to such a pleasant person.’ She had been burgled when she first moved to the area and her car tyres deflated deliberately, he said.
Ian Whitbread, 45, who lives nearby, said: ‘She was a really nice girl. Someone with everything to live for.
She seemed to have a lot of friends, she just always seemed really happy and it’s awful to think someone like that can just be taken away so suddenly.’
Superintendent Catherine Hankinson of Greater Manchester Police said: ‘We are doing all we can to establish the exact circumstances leading up to her death to provide some much needed answers for her family, who are clearly devastated.
‘We do not believe there are any immediate concerns for the safety of the wider community.’