Duchess of York's former assistant murdered

The Duchess of York’s former personal assistant has been murdered in Texas.

Jenean Chapman’s body was found inside a Dallas apartment on Monday afternoon, with officials concluding her death was a homicide.

A 48-year-old man called James Patrick has been arrested in connection with her death, and police say he is expected to be charged with murder.

Read more: Who is Jenean Chapman?

Ms Chapman’s relatives told Sky’s US partner NBC News that the 46-year-old had been married to Patrick for a few months, and they had been in a turbulent relationship for years.

Her sister Nicole Marshall said: “We were shocked because before that it was an on-and-off relationship. It was rocky, we were aware of that.”

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, said she was “shocked and saddened” by the news.

In a post on Instagram, she wrote: “Jenean was loyal, hardworking, beautiful and fun and my heart breaks for her family and friends. I heard from her just a couple of months ago and she seemed so happy.”

The duchess added that she was making a donation so her family could pay for legal and funeral costs, and repatriate her body to New York City.

A possible motive is unclear, and Patrick remains jailed on a $100,000 (£82,000) bond.

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