A child-minder has been shot dead at the Georgian mansion in Co Antrim where she worked.
Ms Catrina Baird (40) was killed in the courtyard of the house on the outskirts of the village of Broughshane, near Ballymena. It is understood a man is being questioned by detectives about the murder.
Ms Baird was separated from her husband, a former gamekeeper on an estate at Cloughmills.
Local people said that she had three children. She worked for wealthy Co Antrim businessman, Mr Ken Dickson, and his wife, Barbara, a veterinary surgeon. They have two small children. Several racehorses are stabled at their home on the Buckna Road.
Ms Baird was found lying in a pool of blood in the courtyard near the stables at 11.45 a.m. yesterday. It is understood that she had been killed minutes earlier.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland sealed off the murder scene and carried out a forensic examination.
The victim had recently moved into a new home, close to her daughter, who has two children. Her parents also live in Broughshane.
Villagers last night said that they were stunned by the killing. Mr Terry McAllister, a shopkeeper on the main street, said: "Nothing was too much trouble for her. She was a lovely girl with a soft personality who doted on her grandchildren. Everybody is devastated. It is such a tragedy. It's very, very sad."
Ms Baird's former primary school teacher, Ms Helen McAllister, said: "I knew her all my life and this has come as a terrible shock. She was a nice, quiet girl. I spoke with her last Friday and she was fine."