The parents of Marelle Sturrock, the pregnant primary school teacher who was killed in Glasgow last week, have paid tribute to their daughter as “the happiest person you could ever meet” as they revealed she had been expecting a baby boy.
Sturrock, 35, was found dead at her home in Glasgow at about 8.40am on Tuesday 25 April.
After an extensive search, a man’s body was found on Thursday in a reservoir north of the city, which Police Scotland later confirmed had been identified as Sturrock’s fiance, David Yates, 36.
Releasing a statement through Police Scotland, Sturrock’s parents, Colin and Lorna Sturrock, said: “We are devastated following the deaths of our daughter, Marelle, and soon to be grandson, Jayden Sturrock.
“Marelle was the happiest person you could ever meet and was always looking to help others the best she could.
“Marelle and her partner doted on each other, and this incident has come as a total shock to all who knew her.”
They went on to thank family and friends, their daughter’s school colleagues and Police Scotland officers, both in the Highlands and Glasgow, for their support and requested that the media respected their privacy.
Last Friday, Scotland’s police watchdog, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC), said it had been instructed to carry out an investigation into police handling of the case.
A murder investigation was launched after Sturrock, who was 29 weeks pregnant, was found dead in her home on Jura Street in the Craigton area of Glasgow on Tuesday. Her unborn child did not survive.
Her fiance’s body was found during searches of Mugdock reservoir, a popular spot for families and dog-walkers just outside the city in East Dunbartonshire. There was a large police presence at the park, which covers a significant area of often dense woodland.
Police said the last confirmed sighting of Yates was last Sunday shortly after 8pm “near to Mugdock park”, and that his subsequent movements were unknown after his vehicle, a white Seat Ateca, was found at the park on Tuesday.
Sturrock moved from Wick, Caithness, to Glasgow when she was 17 to pursue a career in the performing arts and later became a primary school teacher after completing her postgraduate diploma in education.
The headteacher of Sandwood primary school in Glasgow, where Sturrock worked, said her school community was devastated.
Fiona Donnelly said: “Marelle has been a much-loved member of our school community since her probationary year more than six years ago and has taught many year groups throughout her time at the school. We will all miss her so much. She was a lovely, kind, diligent and considerate person who loved and made time for everyone.
“Marelle used her artistic talents across the school and was our music champion who has been a key player in the success of our school choirs.”
