A mother and daughter who were found dead after a house fire were stabbed to death, a post-mortem examination has found.
Caroline Walker, 50, and 24-year-old daughter Katie Walker were discovered dead at the scene of the fire in Hemel Hempstead last Sunday, alongside 57-year-old Gary Walker.
Police said post-mortem tests found Caroline and Katie died as a result of stab wounds, while Gary died as a result of the fire.
Police launched a murder investigation following the discovery of the bodies shortly after 12.30pm at an address in Stuarts Close.
No one else is being sought in connection with the deaths, they said.
Detective Inspector Iain MacPherson, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said: "I fully understand that this tragic incident will have had an impact on the local community.
"I would like to once again reassure people that this was an isolated incident and we are not looking for anyone else in connection to it.
"The family is being supported by specially trained officers and I would ask that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time.
"In due course a file will be passed to the coroner."
Peter Downer, 67 and who lives nearby, saw smoke coming from the bathroom at the front of the property.
"We called the fire brigade when I saw smoke coming from the toilet. We were shocked when we heard what happened," Mr Downer said.
“They were a quiet family and had lived here for a long time."
He said Gary, 57, had worked as a draughtsman, Caroline, 50, had worked at a supermarket.
Their daughter Katie, 24, worked with animals. The couple had another son and daughter, it is understood.
Another neighbour said: “They were a lovely family.
"They had been here for about 30 years. It is a terrible tragedy. We don’t know what happened.”
