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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