Teenage girl whose body was found in car had been killed before it crashed, say police

Two men in their twenties arrested on suspicion of murder

Family describe teenager as a 'bright, clever, and a responsible person' (PA)

A teenage girl found dead in a car after a crash died before the collision, police have said.

A investigation has been launched into the murder of Megan Bannister, 16, whose body was discovered on the back seat of a car at around 11.45am on Sunday in Enderby, near Leicester.

Two men, aged 27 and 28, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and were being questioned by police on Tuesday.

In a statement, the family of the teenager, who was from Leicester, said: “Megan was our beautiful, talented, loving daughter and sister, and our hearts have been utterly broken by her death.

“The thought of life without Megan is impossible to imagine, and we cannot adequately express in words the sense of numbness and overwhelming grief we feel at her loss.

“She was bright, clever, and a responsible person who loved her family and her many friends. She had a strong self-will and had set her heart on training to becoming a midwife.”

They added: “Knowing how confident and determined she was, we have no doubt she would have realised that dream.

“As a family, we are doing our best to support one another at this harrowing time, and would respectfully ask that we are left alone to grieve in private without intrusion.”

A police spokesman said: “An initial post-mortem examination was inconclusive and further tests are being conducted to find out exactly how Megan died.

“However, her death is not believed to have been the result of a road traffic collision.”