EVERETT, Mass. -- Middlesex County prosecutors said a woman found slain in the stairwell of her apartment building in Everett early Friday was a dancer at Club Alex's in Stoughton, which bills itself as a men's entertainment establishment.

District Attorney Gerry Leone said Sheila Santos, 26, a Brazilian woman, worked at the club Thursday night before leaving to go home to her Everett apartment at about 1:15 a.m.

"She came straight home. When she got home, we know that the attack occurred sometime between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. We are asking the public's help for anything they know about what they might have heard or seen," Leone said.

Neighbors said Everett police told them Santos was found stabbed to death behind her apartment at 154 Main St. about 4:30 a.m. Friday. Leone said a building superintendent discovered her body.

"Upon arrival they found a woman in the rear of the building with serious injuries and she was expired on scene," said Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie.

The victim was found in the back stairwell of the building, but detectives said very little about the case.

Leone said Santos had also worked as a dancer at a nightclub called King Arthur's Lounge in Chelsea before becoming employed at Club Alex's. He did not know how long she worked at Club Alex's.

He also would not confirm how she was killed, although shaken residents were talking about the frightening discovery.

"They told me a young woman was stabbed next door, she was killed," said neighbor Shondra Collins.

Leone said he didn't want to give away too many details about the case, but he said police would be on high alert in the neighborhood and around the club where Santos worked.

"At this time we don't want to characterize the nature of the killing, such that we provide a false sense of security with members of the community; however. (her workplace) and the area surrounding the area of the killing will be saturated with police officers for the time being," Leone said.

Investigators with state and local police spent the morning searching the area for clues, some of them using K-9 units. Leone said detectives will be reviewing surveillance cameras from the club and interviewing possible witnesses there.

Neighbors were startled to find out the building's back lot had become a crime scene, saying the area is usually quiet.