Miss Africa contestant found stabbed to death next to her crying daughter as police arrest a man over her murder

A young model was found stabbed to death with her three-year old-daughter 'crying next to her in a pool of blood', friends said today.

The body of Linah Keza, 29, understood to have taken part in Miss Africa 2010, was found at a flat in King Edward Road, Leyton, early yesterday morning. She is believed to have had a panic button installed by police.

The case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which will look at contact police had with her and a 38-year-old man who has been arrested over her death. 

London Ambulance Service paramedics accompanied police to the address just before 4.30am, but Linah, a Rwandan national living in London, was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is understood that her daughter was at the address at the time of the attack, according to a family friend.

Herbert Muhire said: '[Her] daughter is being taken care of and treated for trauma and other consequences as she was found crying next to the mother who was in a pool of blood.

'Family and friends have been briefed how she was killed and died a gruesome death.

'Everything is being done that Linah’s body be brought and buried in respect at home in Kigali [Rwanda].'

Tributes to Linah from friends and relatives were left on a Facebook page set up soon after her death.

Azun Jezan wrote: 'So sad, may her Soul rest in peace and her daughter and family be strong on these difficult sad time.'

Another, Justine Twongyeirwe, wrote: 'Will miss your smile darl linah. RIP'

This morning, the page had over 500 members and some had posted images of Linah, who had worked as a model and studied social work at the University of Wolverhampton.

According to police, a 38-year-old man was arrested after handing himself in at a north London police station yesterday.

A police spokesman said: 'A murder investigation has been launched after woman was attacked in Leyton.

'Police called by London Ambulance Service at 4.29am on Wednesday to reports of a stabbing.

'Officers and London Ambulance Service attend and a 29-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.'

A post-mortem was scheduled to take place at 11am this morning at Walthamstow Mortuary.

- Culled from Dailymail.