Balcony death: what happened to Bethany-Maria Beales?

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after an aspiring singer and actress plunged to her death from one of the City of London’s tallest buildings.

The body of Bethany-Maria Beales, 22, was found on the glass ceiling of a communal terrace on the sixth floor of 110 Bishopsgate - known as Heron Tower - in the early hours of Saturday.

She is believed to have fallen from the 19th floor of the 36-storey tower block, The Sun reports.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Officers from the City of London Police arrested a man and a woman, both 38, after launching a murder inquiry. Both were later released on bail, according to The Guardian.

Mystery surrounds the circumstances of Beale’s death, including what she was doing in luxury complex, says The Daily Telegraph.

“Detectives are understood to be investigating whether she had been attending a party at the building,” the newspaper adds.

Detective Chief Inspector Edelle Michaels has appealed for witnesses to come forward.

“We would like to extend our thoughts and condolences to Bethany’s family and friends at this difficult time, and reassure them we are doing everything we can to determine the circumstances of this tragic incident,” she said.

“Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or may have information which can assist our investigation, is asked to contact police as soon as possible. We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who was in the Heron building, or the vicinity, on Saturday that may have seen or heard something.”

Her family said in a statement that Beales was a “kind, funny, loyal, intelligent, talented and stunningly beautiful person”.

They added: “She was the world to us all. To say we will miss her does not come close to describing how we feel. Our world will never be as bright again now that our shining star has gone.”