Manslaughter charge after discovery of body parts on bridge
A popular bridge in Bristol is extensively blocked off, after the police discovered two suitcases containing human remains. The Metropolitan Police were able to apprehend a suspect and charged him with double murder in court. The investigators have not ruled out hate as a motive.
A 34-year-old man has been charged with two counts of murder in connection to the human remains found in suitcases in England. According to the Metropolitan Police statement, the victims were two men, aged 62 and 71.
The two suitcases with their grisly contents were discovered at a well-known bridge in the western English city of Bristol last week. Additional human remains were found in a flat in the London neighborhood of Shepherd's Bush, which the victims were said to have shared, according to the police.
The victims and the suspect were reportedly known to each other. The 34-year-old is said to have temporarily lived with the men, according to the police. Their close relatives were not involved.
Classified as a hate crime
The two men, one of whom was French, were a couple in the past, as stated in the police press release. Although there were initially no indications of a homophobic motive, the crime was provisionally classified as a hate crime.
"I know that this terrible incident will cause concern not only for the residents of Shepherd's Bush but also for the wider LGBTQ+ community in all of London," said a leading investigator from Scotland Yard, according to the statement. The English acronym LGBTQI+ stands for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender people, queer individuals, and intersex people - and the plus sign and asterisk are placeholders for other identities and genders.
The suspect was arrested over the weekend. He is believed to have transported the suitcases to the bridge using a taxi, but failed to throw them into the river and instead left them behind and fled when confronted by onlookers. He was eventually located after a prolonged manhunt.
The double murder case in Bristol, involving human remains found in suitcases, has been classified as a potential hate crime due to the victims' LGBTQI+ identities. This incident has sparked concern within the wider LGBTQ+ community in London.
This case of murder and manslaughter in England has gained international attention, with the crime being classified under the umbrella of international criminality due to its nature and the involvement of individuals from different countries.
