Woman found stabbed outside North Philadelphia high school

Someone stabbed a woman to death outside Dobbins Technical High School in North Philadelphia and police say whoever did it wanted her to suffer.

"She loved the beach. She wanted to travel. She wanted to see Europe in particular Rome and the churches and the Vatican," friend Ronald Cala told FOX 29.

Cala says his childhood friend Debra Gulliver had big dreams and a big heart. He's finding it hard to fathom just how quickly and brutally those dreams were ripped away. The 31-year-old Upper Darby native was found stabbed and beaten to death in a park by Dobbins Technical High School on Lehigh Avenue Saturday morning.

"She was brutally assaulted. She was stabbed in excess of 12 times," Philadelphia Homicide Captain James Clark said.

Captain Clark says Debbie was headed home after a night out. She and a friend got off the bus at 21st and Lehigh around 2:30 that morning. The friend told homicide detectives he and Debbie headed in opposite directions. She cut through the park, 3 blocks from her home, a typical route, but Debbie never made it home.

Police are reviewing surveillance video.

"We did see the victim entering the location, no one following her. Whoever did this we believe was already in the park or entered from another location," Captain Clark said.

Half an hour after she left her friend, a passerby found Debbie's body. Police say she was stabbed, beaten and her clothes disheveled.

Investigators are appealing to the public for help so are her friends.

"Always wanted to help people so I think the more we can do to help her now and obviously we can't bring her back but if we can give her justice. If we can give her family closure that's where we're at," Cala said.