Photo: FacebookThe woman found murdered in her bed at a St Paul's Bay apartment this morning had filed at least three reports of domestic violence, police officers Norbert Ciappara and Pierre Calleja said this evening.
The woman, Silvana Muscat, 36, was found with five stab wounds in her upper body at about 10.15am in an apartment in Triq l-Isponoż. The police believe the woman had been dead for several hours but an autopsy is still to be carried out.
The police have a person of interest who, however, left Malta for Italy last night.
Ms Muscat was found by relatives who went to check on her after failing to make contact. She was on her bed wearing casual clothes and covered with a blanket.
The apartment was not broken into.
Addressing a crime conference on the murder, the officers said they found a knife which might be the murder weapon in the common areas of the block leading to the roof.
The officers said the person of interest had not yet been contacted but if, in the course of their investigations, he became the prime suspect, they would move to issue a European warrant for his arrest.
Asked if the victim had filed reports with the police, they said that steps had recently been taken against a person over reports filed by the victim.
When asked if this was the same person as their person of interest, they said they could not reply to that question.
They also said the victim had filed at least three reports of domestic violence.
This morning the police questioned a Libyan man at the airport but he was released soon after.
From near the airport, they also towed a way a car believed to belong to the suspect.
A forensics team was on site and a magisterial inquiry is under way.