A resident from the street behind Harpe Inge said: “I knew it was serious, with the air ambulance and the forensics. They were out all day.”
A card left with flowers at the scene said: “RIP my darling. We love you. No more suffering.”
Another said: “I am so sorry for how things have ended.”
Scott I’Anson, who lives on Harpe Inge, said he did not know Ms Higton but had seen her and her children.
“They kept to themselves but a lot of people liked them,” he said. “It’s quite a big family street.”
A spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: “We have received a mandatory referral from West Yorkshire Police linked to the suspected murder of two people in Huddersfield. This is due to the fact officers had contact with both victims, and a man who has since been arrested on suspicion of murder, in the days prior to this tragic incident.
“We will now assess the available information to determine what further action may be required. Our thoughts are with all those affected by these events.”