A court hears that a family friend, who found nine-year-old Aria Thorpe at her home in Weston-super-Mare, initially thought she was playing. Witness accounts state that Ollie Sheppard saw Aria lying face down on the lounge floor and said he first believed she was “messing around.” He told the court he called out her name and that his immediate assumption was that she was not seriously hurt. The reports cover testimony about the moment the witness discovered her before authorities were contacted and after she was found with injuries. The case centers on Aria Thorpe, who is described as being stabbed, and the circumstances surrounding how she was found inside the family home. The outlets cited provide consistent details about the location, the position in which she was discovered, and the witness’s initial reaction, but they do not add further information about suspects, charges, or the investigation in the excerpts provided.