Philadelphia

Woman Killed in Savage Stabbing and Beating Outside a Philadelphia High School Identified

'This was a very brutal, savage attack,' a Philadelphia police captain said of the killing

Philadelphia police have identified a woman who was killed after being brutally beaten and stabbed outside a North Philadelphia high school Saturday morning.

Debra Gulliver, 33, of the 2500 block of N. 25th Street, suffered more than a dozen stab wounds to her stomach, police said Monday. She was also beaten severely in the head.

"She was just dressed in flip flops and a tank top and a pocket book and a pony tail going home and never made it," Gulliver's mother Nancy Celia told NBC10. "Whoever was there at that point in time, she put up a fight for darn sure."

Gulliver was partially clothed when a passerby, who had just been robbed by two men, found her in a park attached to Dobbins Technical High School near 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue, police said.

“This was a very brutal, savage attack. Somebody really wanted to make sure that she suffered and was killed," Capt. Drew Techner told NBC10 on Saturday.

Police are unsure of the motive but say nothing was stolen from Gulliver during the attack. They also have not yet determined whether or not she was sexually assaulted.

Police in North Philadelphia are looking for a person who beat and stabbed a woman to death near Dobbins High School. She was found dead early Saturday morning, police said.

Police did not have a description of a suspect available Monday. Officials said they received 911 calls from witnesses who left the scene before officers arrived.

"We need to talk to them," Philadelphia Police Captain James Clark said. "If they see this, we need them to reach out to us and come in. They were in the park during the time, probably of the murder, or shortly thereafter so we need to talk to them as well."

Homicide detectives are investigating. If you have any information on the stabbing, please call 911.

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