It has been over a year since Katie Beattie was found dead in her flat wearing just a crop top and one sock, her body covered in mysterious bruises.Her family, who fear she was brutally murdered, have been fighting for justice ever since.Katie's sister Kellie Rhodes believes her highly vulnerable sister, who had Addison's disease and had been diagnosed as autistic, was sexually assaulted, injected with a substance between her toes, and left to die. Police were quick to close the case claiming her death involved 'no criminality', but the family say they have found a string of chilling clues having conducted their own enquiries.When firefighters attended her flat in Lancaster city centre and broke down the door on July 1, 2024, more than nine hours after Katie's family raised the alarm, it is believed she had already been laying dead for several days.The family had alerted authorities after she had not been heard from over the weekend and her neighbour had sent them CCTV showing her entering her flat with a man on the Friday - footage that we can now reveal.Kellie, who rushed to the scene, feels police had 'wrote Katie off' from the offset, due to her being known to authorities for mental health and alcohol problems, and says the investigation was 'tainted'.Now, the family have been dealt another blow after police have admitted they lost 'vital CCTV' footage of the man who was seen entering her flat.The local man was initially arrested in connection with the case, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped charges due to a lack of evidence. But the family remain convinced it was him. Katie Beattie, 27, was found dead in her flat when firefighters forced open her door in July last year CCTV footage shows Katie entering her flat with a mystery man days before she was found dead The man was arrested but charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. The family are still fighting for justiceAt the flat, Katie allegedly heard an officer comment on two empty vodka bottles found near her bedside, calling her 'one of them', and that Katie looked like 'she had just fallen asleep'. 'I knew from that moment when that comment was made that they had already made their mind up', Kellie told the Daily Mail.'I knew then they had discriminated against Katie because of her issues with mental health and substance abuse.'They wrote Katie off, brushed her under the carpet like she was nothing. She was everything to us.'Paramedics found Katie deceased at 5.56pm, and police didn't arrive until 7.26pm. 'What police force takes nearly an hour from the fire brigade finding Katie deceased, despite being just one minute away? It’s active discrimination; this case is police negligence.'An internal police report has revealed that 38 video files were corrupted during a file transfer and could not be played, hampering the investigation. Police then took months to inform the family of the true scale of the error.The force's conclusion was that because of the lost footage, it is 'not possible to accurately state whether or not [the man] did return to the flat, but the opportunity is there'. Police also admitted that a doorbell camera at the property 'cannot be relied upon for continuous coverage.' The investigation was formally discontinued on August 10, 2025, but the family say the evidence is there.Kellie says an officer told her Katie was wearing only a crop top and 'one sock' when found.'When I said one sock, my mum knew immediately what had happened,' Kellie said, 'as Katie had disclosed to her in the past that this is what they did to her.'Katie had seemingly told her mum in the past that men would inject her with a drug between her toes. The post-mortem report noted 16 bruises and abrasions on Katie’s body, including a possible needle puncture mark between her toes. The pathologist later stated he put the injuries down to someone of that 'lifestyle.'The post-mortem was then delayed by nine days, at which time the body was too decomposed to determine the cause of death. The pathologist was even questioned by the family's solicitor on the needle mark and apologised, stating he did not know where he got the information about previous bleeding from.The family's anger was further inflamed by comments heard on a video from September 2, 2024, when police finally attended the flat for a forensic search, two months after her death. 'Comments are made on the footage which can be heard about having teas and coffees, and then one asks, have you brought your air fryer?' Kellie said.'Totally disrespectful, joking about going into Katie’s flat?' Katie's sister Kellie feels the investigation was 'tainted' from the offset because officers 'wrote her off' as 'one of them' because she was known to authorities for mental health and alcohol problems Her family are convinced she was sexually assaulted, injected with a substance between her toes, and left to die, but police say there was no evidence of 'criminality' involved in her death Local MP Cat Smith has now backed the family's call for the case to be reopenedLocal MP Cat Smith is now backing the family's fight for justice and has questioned the force's handling of the case.'I’m pleased to continue to support the family in seeking justice for Katie’s death, including challenging the Lancashire Police professional standards department,' the MP said.'Quite understandably, the family’s trust in services is low, but I hope that in time the family can get the answers they deserve.'Detective Inspector Hrynkow of Lancashire Constabulary provided a detailed email response to the family’s concerns. He outlined the force’s position.DI Hrynkow confirmed that the lack of CCTV evidence meant the CPS could not support a full evidential review of the case. He added that the CPS 'may consider a perjury offence' against the male suspect for lying about whether he returned to the flat.The detective also directly contradicted the family’s urgent concerns about a needle mark on Katie’s foot, stating: 'There are no records the Police hold that blood was ever seen on Katie's toes or feet.'Despite the emotional impact, Kellie says she will continue fighting. She said: 'I am mentally and physically drained from the constant battle but I will not give up. 'We as a family will never give up our fight for justice for Katie.'