[WATCH] Sliema murder victim is 43-year-old Colombian woman

Sandra Ramirez has been identified as the victim of Malta's second murder in 2024.

Police are currently investigating the murder of a 43-year-old woman from Colombia which took place this morning in Sliema. 

Police spokesperson Brandon Pisani briefed the media on Saturday morning, saying that at around 6:15am a man entered the Sliema police station and told officers present that he had just killed a woman in an apartment.

When police officers entered the premises, they found a dead woman lying face-up in a bed. The woman was found to have stab wounds. 

The prime suspect is a 43-year-old man who is also from Colombia.

Pisani stated that there might have been an argument that may have transpired before the murder, as investigations are currently underway to establish the dynamics of the man and woman's relationship.

MaltaToday is informed that the victim and suspect have both been living in Malta legally. The woman has been residing in Malta since October 2022, while the man became a resident in January 2023. No domestic violence reports have ever been filed by the victim or the suspect.

Magistrate Lara Lanfranco is also on site along with court experts, as a magisterial inquiry is currently underway.

This is the second murder of 2023. The first murder took place on New Year's Day in Rabat. As the prime suspect in the case, Noel Azzopardi was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to the murder of 27-year-old Eric Borg.