Overview
- Police formally identified the victim as nine-year-old Aria Thorpe following her death at a home in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare.
- Emergency services were called shortly before 6:10 p.m. on Monday and a 15-year-old boy was arrested in nearby Worle minutes later.
- A preliminary post-mortem found the cause of death was a single stab wound, and a cordon, forensic work and house-to-house inquiries continue.
- The defendant appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, was remanded, and is due to appear at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.
- Family and neighbors have paid tribute, new photographs were shared by relatives, and a community vigil took place as local agencies offer support and privacy is requested.