Unsolved murders in London: 2008

These 12 cases remain unsolved. Can you help?

Ade Pukeliene, 57, died after being robbed by two masked men on a scooter as she walked home from work.

The Lithuanian grandmother fell to the ground and fractured her skull after the muggers snatched her bag in Emerald Close in Beckton at around 6.45am on 28 February 2008.

She was found collapsed on the pavement at 7am but died after being taken to hospital.

Ms Pukeliene, who lived with her daughter, son-in-law and grandchild, had left a night shift at a bank in Canary Wharf at 6am and caught a train at Royal Albert DLR station. She was carrying a black shoulder bag which was missing when she was found.

Police appealed for help tracing two men who left the scene on a scooter or motorcycle towards Jasper Road and on to Stansfeld Road. The silver/light-grey scooter was seen in Beckton District Park, near the A13 Newham Way.

The suspect scooter

The suspects were described as describe as black, about 5ft 8in to 6ft tall, in their late teens or early 20s, with either hooded tops or hats and possibly wearing scarves over their faces.

In 2009 DI Brian Mather said: “This was a dreadful attack on a well-loved grandmum while her young grandson was waiting for her to come home from work. We still need the public’s help a year on to identify the killers and trace their route through Beckton Park at about 6.50 that morning.”


Doorman Syed Mehdi, 23, was shot dead outside the Blue Ice bar in Ilford at around 11.35pm on March 1, 2008.

Mr Mehdi, a Pakistani national who lived in Ilford, died in hospital four days after the attack in Cranbrook Road. A second victim, aged 37, suffered bullet wounds to his back but survived.

A £20,000 reward is still on offer for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the suspect caught on CCTV footage.

The suspect, described as a black male, aged between 17 and 25 and wearing a grey hooded top, black jeans and black shoes with white laces, approached the victims on foot before firing shots from a handgun.

Before the shooting he was caught on CCTV stopping three men in Cranbrook Road to ask for directions, about 150 metres from the bar. After the murder he ran off towards Ilford High Street.

DC Jon Williams, who was investigating officer in 2012, said: “We would like to speak in confidence to anyone with information – no matter how small they may think it is – and we are keen to trace the potential witnesses. We would like to reassure these men that they’re not in trouble – we would just like to speak to you to see if you have any information that might be useful to us.”

Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder in April 2008 but were later released with no further action.

Anyone with information that could assist police can call the incident room on 020 8733 4758 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Pensioner Alan Bailey died after being beaten up in the street in Kingsbury, northwest London, in the early hours of November 27, 2007.

The 66 year-old retired lift engineer was found lying on the floor in Lewgars Avenue by a passer-by and was taken to hospital.

But staff at Northwick Park Hospital discharged him shortly afterwards without treating his two broken arms and fractured ribs.

He was found dead four months later, wrapped in blankets on the living room sofa at his home in Boycroft Avenue on March 3, 2008. A postmortem revealed he had suffered multiple injuries and may have been dead for months.

Mr Bailey had become estranged from his family and shut himself off from the outside world.

An inquest concluded that a ‘fuller examination’ of Mr Bailey would have revealed his injuries.

Police offered a £20,000 reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible, but detectives said that the investigation had run out of leads because vital evidence was lost due to the length of time between the attack and the discovery of Mr Bailey’s body.


Nicholas Clarke, 19, was shot on 14 March, 2008, on the Myatts Field Estate in Stockwell.

He was taken to hospital but died the following day. A post-mortem examination found he had died from a gunshot wound to the head.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a group of eight young men were seen on the Myatt’s Field Estate when shots were fired at around 8pm.

Mr Clarke, a student who lived with his mother, was found fatally injured at Fountain Place shortly afterwards.

The inquest in 2015 heard that police believed it was gang-related but were unable to gather enough evidence to charge anyone. One witness told police that the victim was linked to the “OC” gang, while his family insisted he was not a gang member.

It was also suggested that Mr Clarke may have fired a gun during the incident, as a firearm was found in the road near a blue balaclava “heavily covered in gunshot residue”, but the evidence was inconclusive.

A man was jailed for 12 years for possession of the gun which was used to shoot Mr Clarke but he claimed he obtained the weapon weeks after the shooting.

The coroner, Andrew Harris, returned a narrative verdict, saying he there was not enough evidence to return a verdict of unlawful killing given that he could not exclude the possibility of self defence.

Nicholas was the most caring, loving and kind individual you could ever meet. His life was brought to an abrupt end at the hands of his murderer, who killed him in cold blood on that night two years ago. He is dearly missed by all who came into contact with him and we would urge anyone who knows anything to come forward and talk to the police. The individual who took Nicholas’ life has left a grieving family and a huge gap in our lives that can never be filled.

Sharon Barnett, the mother of Nicholas Clarke

Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Martine Vik Magnussen, 23, was last seen alive leaving a nightclub in London’s West End with the son of one of the wealthiest businessmen in Yemen at around 2am on 14 March 2008. She was found dead in a basement at 222 Great Portland Street two days later. Police have named Farouk Abdulhak as the prime suspect but he is believed to be in hiding in Yemen. Read more.


Stephanie Elaidi, a 34 year-old French mother-of-one, was found dead in the River Lea on May 20, 2008.

A fisherman discovered her decomposed, partially-clothed body near Bream Close, Tottenham Hale, and she was only identified after DNA testing.

Miss Elaidi had suffered a puncture-type wound to the back of her skull and detectives believe she was murdered. Nobody has ever been charged and the case remains unsolved.

She had moved to the UK in 2000 and was known to use drugs and work in the sex trade.

In April 2011 it was reported that detectives were planning to speak to the serial killer Stephen Griffiths, known as the ”Crossbow Cannibal.”


Ezekiel Adeboyego Ojo, 24, was shot dead in Southwark, south London, in the early hours of August 22, 2008.

The Nigerian-born victim was found with a bullet wound to the chest in Penrose Street near the junction with Walworth Road at 2.45am.

His murder was investigated by Operation Trident but nobody was ever charged and the case remains unsolved.

DCI Tony Boughton said: “The area is near a very busy part of south east London. A large number of bus routes use Walworth Road and it contains many fast food outlets. I am appealing for anyone who was in the area around 2.30am to 2.45am or even before that time, and may have seen or heard anything suspicious.”

Anyone with any information should call 020 8247 4553 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Lucan Gordon, 23, was stabbed to death the day after celebrating his 23rd birthday.

He was attacked outside the Domino club in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, south London, at around 9pm on September 19, 2008.

Lucan, from West Norwood, was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival from a stab wound to the neck.

A £5,000 reward was offered for information about the murder but nobody has ever been charged and the case remains unsolved.

DCI Cliff Lyons, who led the investigation at that time, said: “Lucan was with friends outside the Domino Club at around 9pm that night when he was subjected to a vicious attack by another man.”

Our son’s life was cut short by a coward. There isn’t enough reason in the world to give justification for taking Lucan’s life. Lucan wasn’t a monster, maybe a bit misguided but never a threat to society or anyone. He was our son and a brother, loving, kind and very genuine at heart. His warm presence is sadly missed and not enough shoulders in the world could give us the strength we need to stand up. We only hope and pray that anyone who knows about his death will have a conscience and come forward so that justice will be served. I know someone out there knows something, please come forward so that our family will at least have some closure.

Lucan’s mother Pat Gordon

Ashley Kemete, 20, was shot dead in Kennington, south London, on Friday, October 17, 2008.

He was found suffering from three bullet wounds in White Hart Street at 9.10pm and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nodody was charged with the murder and the case remains unsolved.

Reports suggested the shooting was gang-related and that Ashley Kemete, nicknamed Termz, was associated with members of the Peckham Boys/SN1 group.

Detective Inspector Tony Broughton, who led the investigation at that time, said: “This murder happened in a busy part of town, just after 9pm on a Friday night. We know there were many people in the area. Several witnesses have already come forward, but there will be others who saw something or know something. We need those people to get in touch with us.”

Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Nathan Douglas, 20, was stabbed to death after travelling to a meeting to buy drugs in Wandsworth, south London, on November 3, 2008.

He left his friends, who were parked in a silver Renault Megane on Lebanon Road, at 11.15pm.

Minutes later he returned suffering from a stab wound to the neck.

Mr Douglas, who lived in Grosvenor Terrace, Southwark, was pronounced dead at the scene and a postmortem found the stab wound was most likely inflicted with a screwdriver.

Two men were arrested but nobody has been charged and the case remains unsolved.

An inquest in August 2011 heard detectives were able to link two suspects to the scene but the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution, partly because several witnesses refused to cooperate with police.

The coroner returned a conclusion of unlawful killing.

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Straight A student Ricardo Cox was gunned down in a drive-by shooting after leaving a KFC restaurant in Croydon.

The 20 year-old was walking home with his brother Oniel when a car pulled up beside them in Derby Road at 9pm on October 26, 2008.

The killers asked: ‘Do you know anyone in the Byrd Gang?’

When Ricardo replied: ‘No’ he was shot twice in the chest with a .22 calibre revolver He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital.

The car used by the gunman, a black hybrid Honda Civic, was found abandoned in Peall Road, Croydon, five days later.

The Honda Civic car used by the killers

Ricardo’s brother and aunt Juliet Mitchell have both for witnesses to come forward.

Oneil said: ‘My brother was not in a gang. He was always having a laugh. We just miss him. We want him to come back.’

Ms Mitchell described Ricardo as a ‘gentle giant’ and added: “This gang culture can stop and it must. You are not born into a gang, so you shouldn’t die in a gang. Ricky is another one gone too soon. The gang culture that killed him must stop. If you know anybody just come forward. Call the police anonymously.”

Everything I have looked at so far has indicated that Ricardo Cox was totally innocent. I am still in no doubt that there are people within the community who have information that could help our investigation. It is likely that the people involved in this incident may have boasted of their crime to friends or associates and I would ask that these people contact us. Ricardo’s family deserve to know what happened that night and have a right to see his killers brought to justice.

DCI Damian Allain, who led the investigation in 2008

Call police on 020 8721 4805 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.


Lorry driver Andrew Cunningham was stabbed to death in a sadistic attack on 10 December 2008.

The 52 year-old’s body was found in his caravan at the Business Centre on Riverside Road, Earlsfield, south London, shortly after 7.30am.

He had died from multiple knife wounds to the head, neck, chest and groin. Detectives have confirmed he suffered ‘unusual injuries’ to his genitals.

His caravan was also ransacked and his wallet containing up to £6,000 and a Scottish £100 note were missing.

Mr Cunningham had been convicted of unlawful sex with a 15 year-old girl in 2001 but was taken off the Sex Offenders Register in March 2008.

Detectives have considered a range of motives including a vigilante attack or a violent burglary gone wrong but the killing remains unsolved. Three men were arrested on suspicion of murder and released with no further action.

On December 8, 2011, returned to the scene to issue a further appeal for information.

Andrew Cunningham’s murder was most unusual and his killer or killers were brazen enough to spend a considerable amount of time inside his caravan committing this offence. Also, Andrew’s caravan was in a busy location fairly close to a local dog track and near to a frequently used cut-through, making it a fairly high-risk location. Therefore I believe his killers probably knew Andrew and were familiar with his home and his movements. For reasons unknown to us at this stage the killers inflicted injuries to Andrew’s genitals – why and what the significance of these injuries only his killer knows at this time but it is possible that they may have confided in someone or even boasted about it.

I would appeal to anyone who has any information about this murder to contact the police. I appreciate that you may feel frightened but I would like to reassure anyone with information that they will be treated with the utmost sensitivity.

It is the case that Andrew had previously been on the Sex Offenders’ Register for an offence he committed in 2000, however in the three years since his murder we have carried out an exhaustive investigation which has brought us no closer to a motive. Andrew was the victim of a sadistic killer and we remain determined and confident that we will identify and arrest the person or persons responsible.”

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola, speaking in 2011

An inquest was held on 9 November 2012 and returned a verdict of unlawful killing.

Westminster Coroner’s Court heard Mr Cunningham had been seen inviting three teenage schoolgirls into his caravan the day before his death.

Detectives interviewed 800 witnesses and scoured recordings from local CCTV cameras during their investigation without result.

The inquest also heard CCTV at the nearby Corner Pin public house was turned off at 4pm on the evening of the murder and only came on again at 11am the next morning. Four samples of DNA were found on the blinds and oven in the caravan but as yet no match has been found.

Deputy Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said it was clear Cunningham had died in a “frenzied attack.”

She added: “The fact we’re holding an inquest doesn’t mean that’s the end of the matter – it will remain an open case on police files. If someone is arrested for another offence and goes on the DNA database, a link may be made. We can only hope, for the family’s sake, that something will come up in the future.”

Contact the incident room at Sutton on 020 8721 4005 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Unsolved Murders in London: 2007

These 18 cases remain unsolved. Can you help bring the killers to justice?

Atiyebi Omuaru, 25, was shot dead in Barking, on 2 January 2007.

He had gone to the Nirro garage on the Lyons industrial estate on River Road to pick up his car at around 6pm.

Police said two gunmen had travelled to the scene in a dark-coloured Vauxhall Omega saloon car and waited in a car park for nearly two hours before carrying out the attack as the victim entered the reception area.

CCTV image of the suspects

Mr Omuaru struggled with the men before diving behind a counter but suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspects, described as black and aged in their 20s, fled in the same car. One wore a black bomber jacket and the other wore a yellow hooded high visibility coat.

In a statement Mr Omuaru’s family said: “The family, relatives, and the Kalabari Centre Organisation and the Association of Rivers Communities, would like anyone with any information they may have about Ati’s murder to contact the police to help them catch the persons who committed this terrible crime.”

At least three people were arrested but nobody has been charged.

Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Dean Tully, 37, was shot dead in Fraser House on the Haverfield Estate off Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, at around 9.15pm on 25 January 2007.

Police said two men burst into a two-bedroom flat and sprayed bullets from a Czech-made CZ25 sub-machine gun.

Several other people were in the same room and another man and a Staffordshire bull terrier were also injured in the attack. Detectives said they did not believe Mr Tully was the intended target.

Media reports suggested the shooting was linked to a turf war between local gangs dealing drugs on the estate.

The murder weapon was later found dumped in a garden in Streatham, south London.

Two suspects, described at the time as black men wearing dark clothing, were captured on CCTV fleeing down Green Dragon Lane.

At least four people were arrested but nobody was ever charged.

Crime Stoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.


Seventeen year-old James Andre Smartt-Ford, known as Dre, was shot dead at Streatham ice rink in Streatham High Road, south London on 3 February 2007.

He had been one of 300 guests at a disco when he was was approached by a black youth wearing dark clothing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the rink at around 11pm.

James was shot twice but managed to stagger a few metres on to the ice before collapsing in front of a crowd of witnesses.

Police arrested at least 18 people in connection with the murder but no one has been charged.

On the sixth anniversary of the shooting in February 2013, Detective Inspector Matt Gosling said: “We want to hear from anyone who may remember something from that night and ask that those who have not spoken to us before come forward and help us bring the murderer(s) to justice.

“We believe there are people out there who hold key information that could help the investigation.

“We remain determined to solve this murder and bring some resolution for Andre and his family.”

Call the incident room on 020 8247 4554 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Fifteen year-old Billy Cox was shot dead at his home in Clapham, south London, on Valentine’s Day 2007.

Detectives believe he knew his killers because there was no sign of forced entry at the address in Fenwick Place.

Billy was last seen making his way home from Acre Lane in Brixton at 2.36pm. CCTV footage then captures him at 2.55pm walking along Landor Road into Fenwick Place with two other men.

In 2019 police appealed for help tracing the male on the left (Billy is on the right)

Less than an hour later his 13 year-old sister heard a bang as she arrived home and found her brother with a gunshot wound to the chest.

A friend helped her to provide first aid until paramedics arrived but the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

There were no signs of forced entry at the house, suggesting that Billy may have known his killer.

Nobody has been charged with the murder.

On 14 February 2007 at 10am, I said goodbye to my son before going to work. I was working in a Thai restaurant. I didn’t want to go but I had to. In the afternoon I telephoned him to see whether he was all right but he didn’t answer the phone. At some time after 3pm, my daughter telephoned and she was crying. I thought they had quarrelled with one another. She said no and she wanted me to get home at once as Billy, my son, had been shot. I got home straight away. I saw all the police tapes around the road and by the house. My husband and the police came towards me. I shouted to my husband ‘please don’t tell me that my son is dead.’ My husband said ‘yes darling, he is.’ I fell to the ground. I cried and cried until I had no tears left and I wanted to die with him. I had to accept the truth that my son had left us. I have followed both English and Thai traditions to remember him with the help of my friends. I have followed a simple way of life. I go to the temple and pray for him. Every year we have a commemoration to remember him at the temple. I miss him so much. His life was taken away at such a young age. But I have to be strong because I still have my daughter to live for. My husband passed away [in 2012] with a broken heart. I would like to seek justice and I’m appealing for anyone who has any information about this case, no matter how small it is, to come forward and inform the police so that they can catch the person who shot him. I am sad to think that nobody is still interested in my son’s case.”

Billy’s mother Arporn Cox, speaking in 2017

Call the incident room on 020 8785 8267. Information can also be reported to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Tyno Kavuala, 20, was shot dead in Harlesden, northwest London, on 4 March 2007.

He was sitting on his own in a black Audi A3 at a bus stop on the southbound carriageway of Scrubs Lane near the junction with Harrow Road.

Detectives said the gunman pulled up alongside in another vehicle before opening fire at around 4.15pm.

DCI Andy Mortimer said: “This fatal shooting was in broad daylight. A number of people must have witnessed it or seen someone leave the scene.”

A later court case heard evidence that Tyno was a member of the South Kilburn Gang (SKG) and that his associates believed that he was killed by a member of the rival Mozart Bloods gang.

Nobody was ever charged with the murder and the case remains unsolved.

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.


Fifteen year-old Adam Regis, the nephew of Olympic sprinter John Regis, was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack in east London on 17 March 2007.

He was on the phone to his girlfriend when he was targeted by up to four men as he walked home along Kingsland Road, Plaistow, at around 9.30pm.

CCTV cameras captured two male suspects getting out of a car in Patrick Road and running towards Adam and his friend.

Although the attack was not caught on CCTV, the two suspects were seen getting back into a distinctive bronze car which has never been traced. Two others were seen running from the area down New City Road.

Adam was pronounced dead in hospital at 11pm, having suffered a single stab wound to the chest which passed through his right arm and into his heart.

Police offered a £20,000 reward for information but the case remains unsolved.

That Saturday Adam was on his way home after going to the cinema with his friends and afterwards he had walked each one of them home to ensure they were all safe. Adam did not come back home to me. My son had always thought he could save the world and he would go out of his way to help whenever he could. I never tried to stop him from showing his love and kindness. It is ironic that Adam’s kind and generous attitude to life caused his death. The murderers of Adam must be caught. While they are still at large they will kill again. Can you again live with the fact that because of your silence another innocent child may lose their life?”

Adam’s mother, Kristina Caesar

Alfred Liverpool, 25, was shot dead at a flat in Clarence House, Rushcroft Road, Brixton, on 27 April 2007.

Police said four young men, wearing dark clothing and hoods, were seen by witnesses fleeing the scene.


James Houliston, 44, died two weeks after being assaulted in Shoreditch Park, east London.

He was walking near the Mintern Street entrance when he became involved in an argument with another man at about 7.30pm on 12 June 2007.

Mr Houlison, a builder who lived in Regan Way, fell to the ground and suffered a fractured skull. He died in hospital two weeks later.

Police appealed for help tracing a dark-skinned Asian man in his late teens, 5ft 11ins tall with an athletic build and wearing light-coloured shorts. Detectives said the suspect was with a group of about six Asian and black youths in their late teens, as well as a white girl with blonde or bleached hair.

Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Carlos Eduardo Cegove Moreno, 23, was shot dead in Fletcher Road, Acton, on 22 June 2007.

He was attacked shortly after arriving in his moped to visit friends at Holmes Court at around 9pm.

Police said they were looking for a silver Volkswagen Polo in relation to the shooting and reports suggested detectives were investigating the possibility it was a road rage incident.

Carlos, who had come to the UK from Brazil two years earlier and worked as a school chef, had told his family earlier that day he was on his way to a party.

Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Kola Babadiya, 28, was shot dead outside a nightclub while working as a bouncer on 15 July 2007.

He was hit by a single bullet to the head after a gunman opened fire with a machine gun near the SW8 bar in Wandsworth Road, South Lambeth, at around 1.37am.

Police said at least 18 rounds were fired and that they believed Kola was trying to shield customers when he was injured. He died in hospital later that morning.

A second man, aged in his 20s, was also injured but was later discharged from hospital.

The suspect was described as wearing a long, dark coat.

Detective Constable Adnan Qureshi, who is leading the investigation, said: “There is no indication whatsoever that Kola was the intended target of the attack. Tragically, it seems he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I believe there are people who know who is responsible for Kola’s murder and haven’t yet come forward. If you are that person, I ask you to find the courage to speak to us, and in return I give you my assurance that the information you give will be treated in absolute confidence. It may be the key to justice for Kola and his family.”

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Xiong Zhang, 33, was attacked on a towpath near the River Roding in Barking on 19 July 2007.

Two police officers found him lying injured as they walked in the area near Hertford Road.

He died in hospital from his head injuries on 27 July.

Police believe he was targeted while he was selling DVDs in the area. CCTV footage reportedly showed Zhang being pursued by a youth on a bicycle.

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Mohammed Ahmed, 17, was stabbed to death in Chesterford Road, Manor Park, on 30 August 2007.

Police said he was attacked after an argument with a young man shortly before 11.30pm.

The suspect was described as black, aged 18-20, 5ft 6ins tall and average build, wearing a black baseball cap and jacket, both embossed with prison-style numbers. He was seen running off towards Rectory Road.

Police also appealed for information from two youths seen walking towards Rectory Road immediately after the stabbing.


Moses Ssendawula, 41 was shot dead in a suspected case of mistaken identity on 8 September 2007.

He was attacked as he walked through Burgess Park in Camberwell near the St George”s Way entrance at around 1am.

Moses was pronounced dead at the scene and a postmortem gave the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the back, which penetrated his heart and lung. He had also suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

Detectives arrested three men in November 2007 and 2008 but they were released with no further action and the case remains unsolved.

On the eighth anniversary of the murder in 2015, Detective Inspector Peter Hine said the police remained “committed to finding those responsible for murdering an innocent man as he went about his business.”

He added: “Moses’ family and friends are desperate for any new information that will ensure that his killers are brought to justice. Moses was well known in the African community for the voluntary work he undertook. He dedicated his time steering teenagers away from crime and the local community too have been left devastated. Someone out there must know something and I would urge them to come forward and speak to us. Whatever the reasons for you not coming forward at the time don’t let that stop you from coming forward now.”

At the time of his death, Moses was wearing a blue checked shirt, black trousers and a light coloured woollen hat.

The murder weapon, described as a 9mm handgun, has never been recovered.

Contact the police on 020 8785 8267 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Edvin Johnson, 19, was stabbed to death in the stairwell of a block of flats in Camberwell on Sunday 16 September 2007.

The teenager was a few days away from starting a course in business studies at Southampton University when he was attacked at Barnet House on the Crawford Estate at around 9pm.

Detectives believe five youths out of a group of 12 on the estate that evening took part in the assault on Edvin and another man. Neither victim is thought to have been the intended target.

Edvin suffered a single wound to his groin and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

Three knives were recovered from the area and one of them had Edvin’s blood on it.

Police offered a £20,000 reward for information at arrested at least 16 people but the case remains unsolved.

Edvin was a wonderful young man. He was looking forward to starting his life in the University of Southampton. On that day the call came through and a voice on the other end said “Aunty, come quickly”.

I rushed to the next building in the compound where we lived. I climbed up the stairs to find my son lying in a pool of blood. We are asking someone, please, to search their conscience; to listen to that still, small voice inside and to come forward and speak out, to help us make that closure.

Edvin’s mother Genevieve Johnson

Police launched a new appeal for information on the tenth anniversary of the murder. DI Justin Howick said: “I am convinced that there were people on the Crawford Estate on the night of the murder who saw what happened but didn’t feel able to speak with police at the time. I would also urge anyone with information, particularly anyone who remembers two silver handled kitchen knives from the same set going missing in September 2007 to contact us.”

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Daniel Ezra Denis, 26, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Acton, east London, on 18 September 2007.

He was sat in the driver’s seat of his black BMW at at the junction of Brassie Avenue and St Andrews Road when a second vehicle pulled up alongside at around 10.30pm.

Daniel, who was known by the street name Iceberg and lived in Erconwald Street, Acton, was shot in the head and died in hospital a few hours later.

The weapon used was a Mac 10 submachine gun, one of a batch of 90 supplied by a dealer based in Northolt.

Daniel’s murder was one of nine killings linked to the weapons dating back to August 2004.

Five people were arrested in connection with the shooting but were released without charge.

DI Dave Rock said in 2008: “I have reason to believe that those responsible have connections to Harlesden and Brixton. I would appeal to anyone in these areas who has information or knows those responsible for the murder to come forward”.

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Philip Poru, 18, was shot dead in a suspected gang war on Sunday 14 October 2007.

The student was sitting with his friends in a car in Long Walk, Plumstead, south London, at around 10pm when they were approached by two men.

When the victim’s friends said they were from Peckham one of the men pulled out a gun and fired several shots into the silver Ford Fiesta.

Mr Poru, a student at Kingston University, was hit in the chest and later died in hospital. An 18 year-old friend was also hit and seriously injured but later recovered.

Witnesses claimed that the victim’s friends were screaming that they had been shot by a Somalian gang. Reports suggested he was murdered by members of the ‘Woolwich Somalians’ using a Baikal 9mm pistol – although the victim was not thought to have gang links.

Detectives investigated the possibility of a link to a shooting and three stabbings in the same area and offered a £20,000 reward for information but the case remains unsolved.

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Margaret Hawkins, 80, died two days after burglars forced their way into her home in Orpington.

Two men pushed her on to a sofa at the bungalow in Charterhouse Road on the afternoon of 16 November 2007.

They fled the scene with her handbag and money.

Ms Hawkins, who lived alone, later collapsed in shock during and interview and died in hospital. A pathologist concluded her death was as a result of the burglary.

A month later her handbag was discovered underneath a tree at a garden centre in Chislehurst. It was reported in the News Shopper that a matching DNA profile was found on the bag and at the scene.

Police appealed for help tracing the two suspects believed to be aged between 25 and 40 and a red flat back van that was seen driving slowly past properties in the area at around midday, one or two hours before the attack.

The suspects were described as:

  1. Heavily built or overweight with brown cropped hair and a swept fringe. He was wearing a white or light grey T-shirt and dark jogging bottoms.
  2. Slim to medium build, with brown hair. He wore a dark T-shirt and dark jogging bottoms.

The case featured on BBC’s Crimewatch TV show but nobody was charged and the case remains unsolved.

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.


Dipo Seweje, 20, was shot dead on the Aylesbury Estate in Walworth on Boxing Day 2007.

His body was found in a communal garden near Chartridge House the following day, more than 24 hours later.

Police said that Dipo had been with a friend in Chartridge House when a man in a hooded top shot at them in a stairwell at around 4pm.

As they fled the block they became separated and Dipo’s friend came forward to police in the early hours of the morning to say he had not seen him since.

At the inquest in February 2009 it emerged that Dipo had been shot dead with the same Baikal 9mm pistol that was used to murder former British heavyweight boxing champion James Oyebola.

Mr Oyebola was shot outside the Chateau 6 bar in Fulham in July 2007 after he asked a group of men to stop smoking (the indoor smoking ban had begun days earlier). Kanyanta Mulenga, 23, was convicted of murder in October 2008 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 28 years.


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Unsolved Murders in London: 2006

These 12 cases of homicide in London remain unsolved. Can you help bring the killers to justice? Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Mehar Singh Kataria, 68, was killed in his own home in East Ham, east London, on 3 February 2006.

The father-of-five was first beaten over the head with a blunt object at the house in Byron Avenue.

Police said the attackers then covered his body with a tablecloth before stabbing him repeatedly in the upper body.

There was no sign of break-in, although an envelope containing £200 was taken from the address.

Police offered a £20,000 reward for information and appealed for help tracing two men of Indian appearance who were seen in the area both before and on the day Mr Kataria was murdered.

During appeals in 2006, DCI Carl Mehta said: “Enquires have led me to believe that Mr Kataria’s killer(s) may well have been from the Asian community, possibly the Sikh community, where Mr Kataria was well known.

“I’m particularly seeking the assistance of the Sikh community to help solve this murder – I’m confident that if the police and community work together then significant steps can be made in an attempt to identify the perpetrator(s).”

It was broad daylight when he was killed in his own home; a happy loving home where he had seen his five children grow up, get married and where his 13 grandchildren visited. The thought of someone touching him is unbearable but knowing that he was murdered for no obvious reason, with such brutality, is agonising. Why was he so brutally attacked resulting in murder? What could someone have possibly gained by taking the life of an old man? I need closure, my life is on hold knowing his killers are out there, knowing they are still living and my Daddy isn’t.

Mr Kataria’s youngest daughter Rimpy Bhatia, speaking in 2006

The remains of Alexandre Madeira Marques, a 61-year-old waiter, were discovered near Woodside Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, on 2 January 2006.

He had last been seen alive at his flat in Clanricarde Gardens, Notting Hill, west London, at around 11am on 16 October 2006.

Mr Marques, an openly gay man who had moved to the UK from Lisbon in 1994 and worked at the Arts Club in Piccadilly, spoke to a friend about an hour later but failed to turn up to work the following day. He was recorded missing on 24 October.

CCTV cameras recorded an unidentified man using his bank cards in the Shepherd’s Bush, Cricklewood and Kilburn areas between 18 and 24 October.

Police want to identify this man in relation to the use of Mr Marques’ bank cards

The case was closed in 2007 but was reopened again in 2019 after new information was received.

Police offered a £20,000 reward for information but the case remains unsolved.

Any information will be properly treated as highly confidential and I can assure people that their identities can be protected if that is their area of concern. Alex’s parents are no longer alive, but he does have family still living in Portugal, elderly family members, who would really like to have some resolution found around this and I want to emphasise how committed I am to tracing and identifying the killer.

DCI Vicky Tunstall, speaking in 2021

Jordan Jackson, 20, and Leyla Djemal-Northcott, 21, were shot dead at their flat in Menlo Gardens, Upper Norwood, south London, at around 6.45am on March 7, 2006.

Two men in ski masks blasted Jordan with a pump-action shotgun as he answered the door and then killed Leyla as she lay in bed.

Jordan’s brother Keiran was also shot and was lucky to survive, while Keiran’s girlfriend managed to hide and escaped injury.

Detectives said they believed the Jackson brothers were targeted in a gangland execution and Leyla was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

On 14 November 2011, police charged Michael Ennis-Simpson, 25 [13/06/86] from Plummer Road, Brixton; Shaun Sutton, 36 [7/02/75], from Wynton Gardens, South Norwood; Leon Russell, 28 [1/12/82] of no fixed abode and his identical twin Lee Russell, 28 [1/12/82] from Lyham Road, Brixton, with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

They were due to go on trial at Woolwich Crown Court on November 13, 2012, but the case collapsed after Mr Justice Fulford ruled that identification evidence was ‘fatally flawed.’ After an unsuccessful appeal against the ruling at the High Court the four men were cleared of all charges.

The prosecution case was that Ennis-Simpson was a drug dealer who orchestrated the hit after being robbed of £5,000 in cash. Leon Russell and Sutton were said to have burst into the victims’ home in Upper Norwood with pump-action shotguns to carry out the killings, while Lee Russell was alleged to have acted as a lookout.

Leon Russell was picked out on an identity parade as one of the two gunmen by Mr Jackson’s brother Kieran, who admitted he only saw part of their faces because they were wearing masks. The police used pictures of both Leon and his twin Lee as part of the procedure as well as two different photographs of six other men to create six ‘virtual twins’.

Mr Justice Fulford, in his ruling dismissing the evidence, said that the photos of the Russell brothers made it impossible to distinguish between them and as a result the procedure was unfair.

The judge said: “The PACE Code and the relevant jurisprudence do not provide sufficient assistance to the police as to how identification parades in these circumstances should be arranged. The officers concerned took substantial steps to address the problems confronting them, and their failure to cover all the complex difficulties that have been revealed is understandable. The measures they implemented were intelligent and imaginative, if ultimately deficient.”

Extract from ruling of Mr Justice Fulford in 2012

DCI Chris Le Pere said the case would remain open. He added: “This was a tragic case involving three young people two of which were killed in their own home. If any new information comes to light it will be thoroughly investigated with the aim of bringing to justice those responsible.”

Jordan and Leyla had been together for five years and had moved in together in Christmas 2005.

Leyla’s mum, Christine Djemal, said: “Leyla has not had the opportunity to finish college, get married, have children. She is deeply missed by her family who still find it hard to come to terms with her sudden and violent death.”

Jordan’s mum said: “Jordan is sorely missed. Due to his untimely death he has missed the birth of his twin brother’s son, a nephew he will never see. He never got to see his baby sister’s first day at school. He was a caring, considerate and loving son, brother and uncle and a joy to be around. He is missed dearly and his murder has destroyed our family.”


Peter Oduwole, 37, was shot dead in the street in Hackney, east London, on 23 April 2006.

He was handing out flyers at venues in Hackney Road when he was attacked at around 8.30pm.

Mr Oduwole, who was also known as Peter Cosa Nostra and lived in Penge, south London, died shortly after being taken to hospital.

Nobody was charged and the case remains unsolved.


Jason Gale-Bent, 29, was stabbed to death in New Cross, south London, on 17 September 2006.

He was sitting on a wall with two friends in Woodpecker Path near his home in Ludwick Mews when they were approached by a group of around 30 to 40 youths on bikes.

Jason was taken to hospital but died of a stab wound to the heart.

Police said they were investigating possible links to two incidents later that night when a shot was fired in Grove Street, Deptford, and a moped rider was chased by a large group of youths on pedal cycles.

Jason’s mother told reporters that her son was not a member of any gang.

Several youths were arrested but nobody was ever charged.

His murder was one of a series of killings on the Woodpecker Estate between 2005 and 2010, including Orville Davidson, 25, Peter Buahin, 23, Nathan Williams, 24, and Nathan Allen.


Daniel Ross, 22, was shot dead on the dancefloor of the Scala nightclub in King’s Cross in the early hours of 24 September 2006.

Read the full murdermap report on the case.


Stuart Christopher McMahon, 45, was found shot dead at his home at 8 Magdalen Road, Earlsfield, on 30 September 2006.

The victim was described in media reports as a millionaire father-of-two who ran his own building firm. He had been living at the five-bedroom house after splitting up with his wife six months earlier but had recently sold the property for £850,000.

His body was discovered in the kitchen at around 5pm after neighbours called police to report that the front door had been left open. The door had been damaged by gunshots and shattered glass was found on the floor.

A postmortem concluded he died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

During appeals for information detectives said they believed he had been shot between 9.30pm and 9.40pm on 29 September 2006.

At this moment we have no clear idea of a motive but we can rule out burglary. The house has not been ransacked. There is no doubt that somebody came to his house with the intention of killing him. “Mr McMahon was not involved in serious crime. He was not a gangster. The key to this lies in his circle of associates.

DCI Steve Richardson, speaking in October 2006

The case featured on BBC’s Crimewatch programme in August 2007. Police said the gun used was a .22 – “a very unusual weapon to be used in a murder”.


Jerome Vassell, 19, was shot dead in Hornsey, north London, on 28 October 2006.

He suffered a bullet wound to the head in the car park of the West Indian Cultural Centre in Clarendon Road shortly before 1am.

Jerome spent five months in hospital and was discharged in March 2007 with severe brain damage, partial paralysis and communication problems.

He died in December 2007 after collapsing at his home in Tottenham.

In 2008 police offered a £20,000 reward for information and said they believed Jerome was shot following an argument with a gang of black men outside the cultural centre.

Later media reports suggested it could be linked to a feud between two rival gangs, the WG in Wood Green and the NPK in Northumberland Park, Tottenham, north London, on the basis that a rapper linked to the WG posted a tribute to Jerome Vassell on YouTube.

Contact the incident room on 020 8733 4704 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111


Jamail Newton, 19, was shot dead outside a nightclub in south London on 1 November 2006.

He was leaving the Aristocrats venue with his friends when two men opened fire with Mac10 submachine guns at around 2.20am.

Jamal died later in hospital.

Police said they were called to reports of a disturbance between two groups of men outside the club, as well as a fire at the back of the premises.

Forensic tests revealed that one of the weapons had been used in the murder of Antoine ‘Fatz’ Smith, 24, who was shot dead in an alleyway near Acre Lane, Clapham, southwest, London on 20 October 2006. Although two youths aged 16 and 17 were charged with that murder, they were acquitted following a trial in 2007 and the Metropolitan Police classes the case as “detected”.

Nobody has been charged with the murder of Jamail Newton.

The Guardian reported that he had been expelled from school at 11 and became involved in cannabis dealing on the streets. With the help of key workers at the Kids Company charity, he turned away from drugs and gangs before his death and began studying computing at college and learning to drive.


Darren Ogiste, 20, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Stoke Newington, Hackney, on 19 November 2006.

He was walking along Church Street with a group of friends when six or seven shots were fired at around 1.30am.

Darren was hit in the chest and collapsed outside a supermarket in Church Street. He died in hospital. One of his friends was also injured but survived.

Five men were arrested by detectives investigating the murder but nobody has ever been charged.

No murder investigation is ever closed and my team and I remain committed to getting justice for Darren and his family. A long time has passed since he was taken from them. Birthdays, Christmases, and countless other family occasions that he should have been a part of but never got to be. That is not right and I know the pain they feel today is as raw as when they first heard what had happened to him. But I believe there are people who have information that could bring them justice and help ease that pain. Over the years allegiances change and people who once might have stayed silent, through fear, or loyalty, may now be thinking differently. If that person is you, I want you to know you can speak to us in the very strictest of confidence. Or, if you want, you can speak to Crimestoppers anonymously. What matters most is that you do the right thing and help us bring justice to a family whose grief has gone on for far too long.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, speaking in February 2022

It emerged in later court cases that Darren Ogiste had been released from prison shortly before the shooting, having been convicted of helping to dispose of the body of drug dealer Erkan Konakli.

Mr Konakli was shot dead at a flat used Darren’s older brother Delroy Ogiste, in Provost Street, Shoreditch, east London, in November 2003. His body was hidden in a barrel and dumped in the River Lea.

Delroy Ogiste was cleared of the murder of Mr Konakli after a trial in 2005 but both he and Darren were convicted of perverting the course of justice.

Three months after Darren Ogiste’s murder, the prime suspect in the shooting, a man named in court as Leon Smith, 22, was targeted by a gunman at Cremer Tyres in Southgate Road, Islington, on 1 February 2007.

Delroy Ogiste was put on trial for attempted murder in relation to the attack but was acquitted following a trial at the Old Bailey in February 2008. He claimed he was decorating his bedroom at the time and called his mother and father as alibi witnesses.

To provide information to police call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting Operation Belzoni. Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Isaac Kofi Benson, 25, was stabbed to death in Tooting on 16 December 2006.

Police were called to reports of an assault at the Rounded Oak pub in Mitcham Road at around 1.30am.

Mr Benson, from Tooting, was found slumped outside and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at hospital.

A postmortem gave the cause of death as a single stab wound to the heart.

Police said the pub was very busy at the time and appealed for witnesses to a disturbance or altercation inside the pub shortly before 1.30am.

A man and a woman, both aged 18, were charged with perverting the course of justice but the murder case remains unsolved.

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Other cases:

The case of Duncan Frame, who died of a heart attack after being assaulted during a brawl at the Cutty Sark pub in Thamesmead, south London, on 10 September 2006, was also listed as undetected by the Metropolitan Police. An inquest in 2008 recorded an open verdict. Seven men were charged in relation to the violence at the pub but nobody was charged in relation to the death.

Kashmir Singh Bedesha, 54, died of head injuries after falling to the ground outside a curry house in London Road, Norbury, south London, on 24 July 2006. Police investigated the death as a homicide after a witness said he was pushed over an unknown person. Restaurant staff said Mr Bedesha was drunk and fell over.

Police investigated the case of Joan Board after she died of heart disease at her home in Enfield on 2 December 2005 and arrested a doctor on suspicion of manslaughter in January 2006. The death was listed as an undetected homicide by the Metropolitan Police in 2011.

The Metropolitan Police also records the following murders as undetected, although no further details are readily available:

Edwin Rewald-Carter, 44, on 5 December 2006.

Aivar Mezolvich, 45, on 12 November 2006.

Michael Bowling, 19, on 21 October 2006.

Mohamed Said Mohamoud, 46, on 6 September 2006.

Selmore Lewinson, 49, on 19 May 2006.

Simon Monteiro, 39, on 24 April 2006.

Mayaran Jaffma Mahendraraja, 22, on 17 March 2006.

Alam Monsur, 27, on 4 February 2006.

If you know any further details of unsolved murders in 2006, contact us on mailbox@murdermap.co.uk.

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Unsolved murders in London: 2005

These 13 murders in London in 2005 remain unsolved? Can you help bring the killers to justice?


Benjamin Onwuka, 24, was shot in the head in Maxilla Walk, Harlesden, on 2 January 2005. He died a short time later in hospital.

Four men were arrested and a £10,000 reward for information was offered but nobody has ever been charged.

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Khang Tho Nguyen, 38, was found dead at a cannabis farm at a house in Bamford Avenue, Wembley, on 15 January 2005.

He had been stabbed in the neck and police said they believed he had been killed about two weeks earlier.

Nguyen, who came to the UK using the name Tho Pham, is thought to have been involved in the cultivation of cannabis at the property although he did not live at the address.

Detective Chief Inspector Jeanette McDiarmid said: “It is hoped that, with assistance from the community, information will come forward that can help us solve this murder inquiry.

“We would like to hear from anyone, especially in the Vietnamese community, who knew Khang to assist us piecing together the events that led to his death. We are also keen to hear from the men that rented the Bamford Avenue (address), or anyone that knows them.

“It is possible that there are also people who do not know either the victim or the men who rented the property, but they may know 48 Bamford Avenue and what it was being used for. We would be keen to hear from these people as well.”

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Junior Anthony Edwards, 30, was found injured by a passer-by in Spears Road, Upper Holloway, at around 7.30pm on 19 January 2005.

He died in hospital an hour later and a postmortem gave the cause of death as a single stab wound.

Police appealed for witnesses but the murder remains unsolved.


Justin Laurie Bernier, 20, was stabbed to death at his flat in Clapham Road, Clapham, southwest London, on 20 February 2005.

Police said there was no sign of forced entry and appealed for witnesses. DCI Glyn Jones said: “This is a seemingly meaningless death where a young man, aged just 20 years, has had his life taken from him. We would like to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of 297 Clapham Road, late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.”

Our family mourns the loss of a young son, brother, nephew and cousin in a seemingly senseless killing that appears to be the result of anger. How can it ever be justified? “Loss of life is difficult enough for anyone. When it is a member of your family it’s even more so. Justin would not have harmed anyone – still tragically his life has mercilessly been taken in a reckless murder.

Statement of Jason’s uncle in 2005

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Bruno Hrela, 33, known as Tiger, was shot in the head in Cedar Avenue, Enfield, north London, on 5 March 2005.

His father told the Mirror newspaper he believed it was linked to a row over the robbery of Giggy Jewellery in Greville Street, central London, three months earlier.


Shaun Stanislas, 24, was shot dead outside his home on the Stonebridge estate in Willesden, northwest London, on 22 March 2005.

One of the two weapons used in the attack was a 1943 Colt 45 pistol which has been linked to the murder of Troy Robinson in Harlesden in June 2005 and Ryan Bravo in 2008.

The murder of Stanislas remains unsolved but it has been claimed in court his associates in the Press Road gang blamed Jason Greene, a rival in the Chalk Hill Boys / CHB group.

Jason Greene was shot dead as he took his young sons to school in Wembley on 18 July 2006. Christopher Toussaint-Collins was identified as one of the gunmen and jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years before parole in 2007.

The Metropolitan Police continued to list the case as unsolved in 2011 and nobody has ever been charged with the murder.

Read more about the recent history of gang murders in Brent (subscribers only)


William Henry Marney, known as Bill, was shot dead outside his home in Crayford, Bexley, just before 10pm on 23 June 2005.

Police said the 39-year-old was targeted by the occupants of a dark-coloured car in Mill Place just before 10pm.

The suspects, described as two black men, fired several shots before driving off in the hatchback vehicle, believed to be either a Rover 45 or a Peugeot with an M or N registration.

Nobody has ever been charged with the murder despite several public appeals.

Speaking in 2007, DI Bob Webb said: “A shooting is so rare that I expect people in the area to remember where they were and what they were doing.

“It was a warm summer evening and many people would still have been outdoors, in their garden or at least with living room windows open.

“It may be that you saw or heard something suspicious that night and have not come forward because you think it’s not important.”

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Peter Buahin, 23, was shot dead in a ‘ride-by’ shooting 100 yards from his mother’s home in New Cross, south London.

At around midnight on 25 July 2005 he was on a bicycle in Woodpecker Road when two men on bikes approached him and opened fire.

He suffered a fatal bullet wound to the head and died at the scene. The suspects fled on foot leaving their bikes behind.

Three people were arrested by detectives investigating the murder but nobody has ever been charged.

Peter’s mother Lucy Buabeng told the This is London website in 2006 that her son was working as a painter and decorator after serving a prison sentence for robbery.

She added: “I will forgive these killers if only they would come forward. I’m a devout Christian and believe in forgiveness but only if they repent.

“They took my son away from me and now my life is in tatters. It’s a wasted life and he’s left behind his four-year-old son Rahim who will probably never remember his father.”

Peter’s friend Orville Davidson was shot dead on the Woodpecker Estate a few months earlier on 28 March 2005 (see above).


Newton Thompson, a 61-year-old Australian tourist, was found dead at a hotel in Paddington, west London, on 1 August 2005.

The divorced father-of-two had been severely beaten in his room at the Comfort Inn in Paddington, west London, and his belongings had been stolen.

Detectives said one line of inquiry in the investigation was that he was mistaken for a convicted paedophile, Robert Excell, who arrived in the UK amid much media publicity two days earlier after being extradited from Australia.

Both men wore metal-rimmed glasses and had grey hair and a beard.

DCI David Little told reporters: “Noises of a disturbance were heard by other guests that night, there was some sort of fight and struggle.”

Police issued a CCTV image of his last movements but nobody has ever been charged with the murder.


Falwinder Singh Badesha, 33, was stabbed to death at his home in Belvedere, south London, at around 8pm on 21 September 2005.

Police said they believed he was attacked during an argument about the tidiness of the shared flat in Holmshurst Road.

Officers said they wanted to speak to one of the victim’s flatmates, Sukhdip Singh Chhina, then aged 23, who left the address before the emergency services arrived. At that time he had a cut to his forehead.

He was described as 5ft 9ins tall, with short dark hair and is said to have links to Amritsar City in Punjab, India,

Sukdip Singh Cchina
Sukdip Singh Cchina

The appeal was reissued ten years later in September 2015 and nobody has yet been charged with the murder.

Somebody knows where Chhina is. I appeal to anyone who knows his whereabouts to contact us immediately. Your call could help remove a murderer from the community, or may even eliminate a suspect from police enquiries. I believe that Sukhdip Singh Chhina has information that is vital to our investigation, or he may even be responsible for the murder. I am confident that we will eventually catch up with him, for this reason I urge Mr Chhina to come forward and speak with us now rather than continue to delay the inevitable.

Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Gwyn, speaking in 2015

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


George Edward Willis, 84, was found dead at his home in Peckham, south London, on 6 October 2005.

He had been tied up at his flat in Torridge Gardens and a postmortem revealed he had died of head injuries. His flying jacket and bus pass were missing.

Police appealed for information about a man who was seen arguing with Mr Willis on 28 September. He was described as white, slim, aged in his 20s with dark scruffy hair.


Douglas Yogarasa, 27, was shot dead in Kingsbury, northwest London, on Sunday 11 December 2005.

Police were called by a member of the public who found his body in Queensbury Road at around 9.50pm.

A postmortem confirmed he died of gunshot wounds to the head and body.

Yogarasa was a single, unemployed man who lived alone in Kingsbury and had family ties to Sri Lanka. It is thought he was walking home when he was shot.

A white van was spotted leaving the scene of the murder and police said it had distinctive white tubes running the length of the roof, of a type commonly used by plumbers to store copper piping.

Detectives offered a £20,000 reward for information but nobody was ever charged with murder.

On 6 February 2006 police investigating the shooting searched a house in Enfield and found an Adidas holdall containing £32,570 in cash and 60 bogus credit and debit cards hidden in a ceiling.

Five people were convicted in relation to a bank fraud and jailed.


Beril Hallam Augusti Tennyson, 85, was found dead in his bed at his home in Shepherds Hill, Highgate, north London, at 11.20pm on 21 December 2005.

He had suffered several stab wounds and severe head injuries and a postmortem gave the cause of death as stab wounds to his neck.

A man was arrested by police investigating the murder but was later released and nobody has ever been charged.

Tennyson, a descendant of the poet laureate Alfred Tennyson, was an Old Etonian, writer and broadcaster who had worked as an assistant head of drama at the BBC. He had two children and seven grandchildren and was open about his homosexuality, with newspaper suggesting that he regularly invited men back to his flat.

In February 2006 the Metropolitan Police released CCTV images of Tennyson entering Great Portland Street Tube station at 4.05pm on 21 December at Angel tube station in Islington around 25 minutes later.

The investigating officer at the time, DCI Tony Nash, said: “This was a brutal attack on an elderly and vulnerable man. Despite his years, Mr Tennyson was a lively individual who continued to lead a full and active life. We urge anyone with information to come forward as soon as possible.”

Police had offered a £20,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

He was 85, but very active. He went to the theatre, played tennis three times a week and had lots of friends. He was very involved in their lives. He was an integral part of our lives and somebody has taken that away from us. He had a lot to live for and he was a very special man.

Daughter-in-law Janice Tennyson

Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


The following unsolved murders in 2005 were listed by the Metropolitan Police in a Freedom of Information Request but no other information was provided or is readily available:

Min An Lin, 42 on 21 January 2005.

Michael McNamara, 48, on 10 February 2005.

Melanie Hentze, 25, on 13 September 2005

Dennis Donahue, 33, on 20 September 2005

Margaret Rose Domanski, 72, on 22 September 2005.

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Unsolved murders in London: 2004

These eleven murders in London in the year 2004 remain unsolved. Can you help bring the killers to justice? Call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.


Camille Gordon, 23, was stabbed to death outside the Blue Bunny Club in Soho on 1 March 2004.

Police believe her killer was an angry customer of the club, known as a “clip joint” because it charged people large sums of money for spending only a few minutes with its hostesses.

Read the full case details here


Anton Hyman, 17, was found dead in the River Brent in west London on Mother’s Day 2004.

He had been beaten, stabbed multiple times and shot in the back.

His murder remains unsolved despite repeated appeals by his mother Vanessa, the Metropolitan Police and a £20,000 reward for information.

Anton, who was 5ft 6 and lived with his family in Acton, had planned to go to college to study audio engineering. His acceptance letter arrived the week after his funeral.

He was last seen at around 8pm on Saturday March 20 between Greenford Avenue and Brent Valley Park in Hanwell, when he was wearing distinctive bright multi-coloured gloves, blue and white Timberland boots, dark jeans, dark grey fleece, a green t-shirt and a green shirt with “Iceberg” written on the breast pocket.

It is thought he was killed that night.

Someone answered a call from Anton’s phone that evening but efforts to trace that person have been unsuccessful.

At 11am the next morning his body was found in the River Brent near High Lane, Greenford.

Nine men and one woman were arrested in connection with the murder but following extensive police investigation nobody has yet been charged.

Detectives believe that there are witnesses and friends who have important information that would lead to a breakthrough in the case.

On the seventh anniversary Anton’s mother Vanessa appealed for help solving the crime on the London Today programme.

She said: ‘There has always been a wall of silence. People were too scared to talk and I can understand the fear, but I hope the alliances people had then might be different now and they might feel differently now.’

In a further appeal on 5 April 2017, Vanessa Hyman said: “Mother’s Day, Sunday 21st March 2004, should have been a happy time with my family. Police knocked on my door to tell me my 17-year-old son Anton had been murdered. He had been shot, beaten and stabbed.

“Thirteen years on and still the killers of Anton have not been identified and brought to justice.

“Anton has a little sister; she was only six-years-old when she lost her brother. The innocence of her childhood was taken away. The lives of our family changed forever. We need answers, we need to know what happened but most of all we need justice for Anton.

“Somebody must know who killed Anton; somebody must have noticed something, seen something or heard something. There seems to be a wall of silence around his killers.

“Anton is dearly missed by his family and friends. We appeal to anyone who has information to please come forward.”

Thirteen years have now passed since Anton’s tragic death, but someone somewhere undoubtedly knows who was responsible for this callous murder and has chosen not to come forward. It happened a long time ago, but I am certain that there are people in the local area who remember Anton’s murder, and know what happened. If you have any information, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, please come forward. It may be that you didn’t contact police at the time due to loyalties or fear of repercussions. We would urge you to do the right things and tell us what you know, safe in the knowledge that the information will be treated with the strictest confidence, so we can gain justice for Anton’s family.

DI David Bolton of the Metropolitan Police, speaking in 2017

Anyone with information is asked to call the Incident Room on 020 8785 8244 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.


Dumbi Moka, 31, was shot dead outside his home in Ponders End, Edmonton, on 3 April 2004.

The Nigerian businessman, a married father-of-one, had planned to open a travel agents in the area.

Police believe he was killed following an argument with a man while parking his Mercedes CLK in Elmcroft Avenue at around 1am. He collapsed near his front door and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. A postmortem gave the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the heart.

A £15,000 reward was offered for information leading to a prosecution and three people were arrested but the case remains unsolved.

Dumbi’s sister Ashinedu said: “Dumbi was a very friendly and hard working businessman, who has left behind a loving wife and young daughter. He didn’t deserve to die this way and the family feel a great sense of loss. Please help us and give any information that may help with this investigation.”

Police said they were looking for a man of Mediterranean appearance who was seen knocking on Mr Moka’s front door and peering through his living room windows on on 2 April 2004.


Joan Ursula Caddock, 82, died after being mugged near her home in Wandstead, east London.

She was attacked while walking along Halstead Road after visiting the Post Office to collect £100 in cash on the morning of 8 April 2004.

The suspect knocked her to the ground while grabbing her handbag, leaving Ursula with a fractured leg and shoulder. As she lay on the ground he returned to pick up her bus pass.

Ursula was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital but died on 27 April of acute peritonitis caused by her injuries.

The following month detectives said they had linked the attack to four other street robberies in Woodford Green and Wanstead between 5 and 9 April. The suspect was described as a light-skinned black male 5ft 9in tall.

Her son David told the BBC: “He mugged her for the bag and then came back for a bus pass. It’s my mum this time but next time it could be somebody else’s.

David added: “She walked with a walking stick but she certainly wasn’t frail.

“She was in reasonably good health for somebody that age. She wouldn’t give up. She was a very nice person.”


Nine-year-old Emojeffe Okobia died in a house fire in Shifford Path, Lower Sydenham, Lewisham, southeast London, on 29 Jnune 2004.

He was at home with his teenage sister while their mother was working a night shift as a psychiatric nurse when the blaze started at around 3.15am.

His sister escaped by jumping out of a first-floor window and was treated in hospital for burns but Emojeffe’s body was later found in a rear bedroom.

Witnesses saw a man aged around 18 or 19 running away shortly after the fire started.

It was thought the fire was started deliberately as the the house had previously been targeted in an attempted arson attack in the early hours of 16 June, when petrol was poured through the letterbox but not lit.

According to the Evening Standard, detectives were investigating the possibility that Emojeffe, known as Effie, was the innocent victim of a feud between street gangs.

Two males aged 15 and 25 were arrested but nobody was charged.


Thomas Brown, 27, was stabbed to death as he walked home from a night out with friends in the early hours of 21 August 2004.

Police were called shortly before 4.30am after he was seen lying on the ground by a passing motorist in Southgate High Street, near Chandos Court, less than 200 metres from the house he shared with his older brother.

Tom, who worked for the BBC as an archivist and librarian, had suffered several stab wounds but no defensive wounds and there were no obvious signs of a struggle.

His mobile phone and wallet were found in his pockets, leading detectives to believe that the stabbing was either random or that he may have got caught up in an argument.

Nobody was ever charged and the murder remains unsolved.

On the evening before his death Tom had visited several pubs in the Southgate area before returing to a friend’s flat in Mayfair Terrace.

He was wearing glasses, a blue zip-up top, beige jeans and black trainers.

At around 3am he left the flat and began the 20-minute walk back home via Chase Road, Southgate Circus and Southgate High Street.

Police appealed for witnesses who may have been in the Chandos Court area between 3am and 4.15am and released CCTV images of two men seen running along Meadway at 3.48am.

An efit of a man who was seen sitting on a wall with a woman just yards away the scene was also issued by detectives.

The appeal was featured on the BBC Crimewatch programme in September 2004 and a £20,000 reward was offered for information leading to a conviction.

Tom had finished a politics degree at Southampton University in 2003 and had ambitions to become a cameraman. He would have celebrated his 28th birthday the following day.

His brother Paul, making a public appeal for help solving the murder, said in 2004: “Whoever murdered Tom has no feeling or conscience and could definitely kill again with the same ruthlessness.”


Keetheswaran Shanmuganathan, 29, was shot in his car outside Shirley Court, Highfield Avenue, Kingsbury, Brent, on 28 August 2004.

The Sri Lankan Tamil was sitting in the driver’s seat of the blue Honda when the gunman approached and fired at least one shot through the window.

Three of his friends were also in the car at the time, having left a flat in Shirley Court with Keetheswaran a short time earlier.

Police and paramedics were called to the scene at around 9.10pm but he was pronounced dead a short time later. A postmortem confirmed the cause of death was a gunshot wound.

The suspect was described as tall and slim. He is believed to have left the scene via Highfield Avenue before turning into Buck Lane. He then got into a dark-coloured car which drove off towards Hay Lane. It is thought the car had been parked in the area for some time before the murder.

Detectives offered a £20,000 reward for information during a public appeal a year later in August 2005 but the case remains unsolved.


John Coffey, 55, was stabbed at Wood Street train station, in Walthamstow, Waltham Forest, on the night of 5 September 2004

He had spent the evening with a friend at the nearby Plough Inn before heading to the station to catch the last train home to Hackney. The train was expected to arrive at the platform at 11.30pm.

John was next seen by passers-by lying injured in the station lobby at 11.47pm. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as loss of blood resulting from a stab wound to the stomach.

Detectives believed he was attacked on the station platform and made his way to the station foyer before collapsing. His black wallet was missing, suggesting he may have been targeted by muggers.

Two men were arrested in connection with the murder but nobody was charged and the case remains unsolved.

John was originally from Beauford, Co Killarney, and left Ireland at the age of 17 in 1967 to work as a builder.


Richard Wellington, 38, was shot dead in his car in Wyborne Way, Willesden, Brent, on 12 November 2004.

Police believe he had been parked outside James Dudson Court for about half an hour before he was killed.

Minutes before the shooting, two men with Jamaican accents were heard arguing outside Wyborne House.

When police arrived at the scene they found Richard’s body in a burning BMW.

It is thought the BMW crashed into two other cards after he was shot.

Detectives said they believed three armed men were involved.

In a public appeal in June 2005, DCI Neil Basu said: “There is strong intelligence to support the theory that the murderers are locals.

“There is no doubt that a climate of fear exists that is preventing witnesses coming forward.

“The Metropolitan Police Service can and will protect witnesses that come forward and give evidence.”


The remains of Jeff Mensah, 27, were found in a burnt suitcase in a garage in Dartford Road, Edmonton, north London, at around 10.15am on 8 December 2004.

A postmortem was unable to determine the cause of death but experts concluded he had died before being set on fire.

Police believe he was abducted from his home in North Street, Plaistow, east London, at some point after he was dropped off by a friend at around 11pm on 7 December.

The second floor of the house was set on fire and the emergency services were called to the address at 1.20am on 8 December. Nobody was found inside the property.

Police appealed for help tracing two suspects believed to have abducted the victim. One was described as a light-skinned black man, taller than 5ft 8in and of medium build, seen wearing a baseball cap, high-neck jumper, trousers, gloves and a yellow-and-black patterned mask. The second man was described as a darker-skinned black male about 5ft 8in tall, of slimmer build, seen wearing a round-necked jumper, gloves and mask, all of them dark coloured.

Jeff, who also used the name Kwaku Amah, was a Ghanaian national who travelled to the UK in February 2002. He worked as a kitchen assistant in a restaurant and then later a delivery driver.

Police issued an appeal for information in Ghana in 2005 but the case remains unsolved.


Solomon Shiloh Martin, 24, was shot dead in Thornton Heath, Croydon, at around 7pm on 31 December 2004.

He was sat in the back seat of a silver Renault Clio when he was hit in the head by a bullet fired from a dark saloon car in Carolina Road.

Forensic evidence suggested 16 shots were fired in total from the suspect vehicle, from three different weapons. Two other men were in the car but escaped unharmed.

The Clio was then driven to Pilgrim Hill in West Norwood, and abandoned. Solomon was found dead in the Clio by emergency services at 7.30pm.

Solomon, from Brixton, was the son of a reggae producer known as Blacker Dread, who ran a music store in Coldharbour Lane.

Police said the two other men in the car were friends of Solomon, who had got into their car after leaving the World of Cuts barbers in Green Lane, Thornton Heath.

With the murder still unsolved two years later, detectives issued a further police appeal for witnesses.

Detective Inspector Tim Neligan said: “In particular, we need to speak to those who were in the car with Solomon, before he was left at Pilgrim Hill. We have no doubt that they hold vital knowledge about his murder and their assistance would be invaluable to us. Despite suffering from a gun shot wound, Solomon was left on his own at a time when he needed them most. It is my belief that Solomon and his friends knew who his killer(s) were.”

Solomon’s mother also appealed for the two men to come forward.

I have been told that my son’s death was an accident and the bullet that pierced his brain was not meant for him, yet no-one else in the car he was in was injured. These two so-called friends ran away unharmed, leaving my son bleeding to death. I know that these two will be scarred for life by their own guilt and fear, but they have one thing that my son doesn’t. Life! They can still live, love and laugh but will never be happy. You who know why this catastrophe took place must talk. If you had an ounce of love or respect for my son whom you regarded ‘a friend’ it is you I appeal to for answers. You who have watched him grow from a child must allow my beloved boy to rest in peace. Until then your lives will be fruitless and in torment. Therefore let the truth set you free.

This Christmas when you celebrate, exchange gifts, laugh and love. When you look around your table, eat Turkey and drink wine, a huge smile across your face because all your seats at the dinner table are full, please take another look around and remember me. Think of my pain and the devastation at seeing an empty chair that can never again be filled. My table will forever have one seat empty.

Alison Lyken, Solomon’s mother, speaking in December 2006


The following additional cases were mentioned in a Met Police FOI release listing unsolved murders in 2004, but no further details are known.

Rajiv Chander, 9, Asian male, on 3 April 2004.
Peter Hamill, 32, White European male, on 19 August 2004.