Yesterday afternoon detectives arrested a 55-year-old woman on suspicion of murder at an address in Chester.
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It is thought Ms Hartley was last seen alive on Thursday at a conference in Manchester with a colleague.
Police now believe Ms Hartley was killed at around 8pm on Thursday evening after last making contact with a work colleague at around 7.30pm.
Her partner, an ex-fireman, was overseas on a skiing holiday at the time and police have said he is not a suspect but that Ms Hartley died in a “targeted attack” whose motive remains unclear.
Police said both women had been arrested in Chester – around 60 miles from Mrs Hartley’s £450,000 country home in the village of Helmshore, Lancashire.
Detective Superintendent Paul Withers, leading the investigation, said: “I’d like to thank everyone, particularly the residents of Sunny Bank Road, for their help and patience with the investigation so far”.
Police are following up on the theory she might have had a love rival, who she never even knew about. We need to speak to these people as soon as possible.
A post mortem examination carried out on Saturday evening confirmed the cause of death as multiple stab wounds but the murder weapon has not yet been recovered.
Mr Withers said described the attack as “horrific” and one of the worst he had seen in his career. A 60 year-old woman was found inside with a number of knife wounds and pronounced dead at the address. She is a thoroughly decent lady, a successful businesswoman who worked very very hard and certainly didn’t deserve to end her life in this manner.
“If I can offer a degree of reassurance to the public, I don’t think this is a random attack, I think this is a targeted attack and I think the answers lie here on Sunny Bank Road but I’m not dismissing anything at this time”. We are absolutely determined to identify who has done it so hopefully they will face the courts and a lengthy, lengthy custodial sentence.
This auto was seen arriving on Sunny Bank Road just before 8pm on Thursday 14 January, and driving off moments later.
Officers are continuing their appeal to identify a person seen passing a man as he walked out of Sunny Bank Road on Thursday evening and an unknown person who walked into the cul-de-sac, leaving a few minutes later.
‘This man is seen to pass another person walking in the opposite direction into the cul-de-sac.
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Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting incident reference 1481 of January 15, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
