The remains of two men whose remains were found stuffed in two suitcases have been identified and released to the public as 62-year-old Albert Alfonso and 71-year-old Paul Longworth.
Police found the bodies on Wednesday night after receiving reports of a man acting suspiciously on Clifton Suspension Bridge. When they arrived at the scene ten minutes later, they found human remains dumped in two suitcases on the bridge.
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Yostin Andres Mosquera, 34, was charged with the murder. He had been staying with Longworth and Alfonso for a short period, said the police. Longworth and Alfonso were in a relationship but had broken up. They still lived together at the Shepherd’s Bush flat.
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More remains were found at the victims’ flat in Scotts Road, west London, in the Shepherd’s Bush neighborhood.
Mosquera allegedly traveled to the bridge by taxi and had already departed the scene by the time the police arrived.
Mosquera, of Scotts Road, west London, was arrested by armed police at Bristol Temple Meads Station early Saturday morning. He will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court later today.
The incident was categorized as a hate crime in adherence to national guidelines. However, the police said they don’t believe there was a “homophobic motive.”
The police said that they did not believe that Longworth and Alfonso had any immediate family. “We have identified other next of kin who have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said.
Longworth was British, and Alfonso was originally from France but held British citizenship.
“My thoughts are first and foremost with Albert and Paul’s loved ones who are coming to terms with this terrible news,” he added. “We are continuing to try and identify any extended family members.”
Commissioner Valentine said that due to the victims’ identities, they are working with an LGBTQ+ resource group while continuing the investigation.
“Officers have worked with the pan-London LGBTQ+ Independent Advisory Group (IAG) since the identity of the two victims and their sexuality was established. Their advice, expertise and support for the investigation has been extremely valuable,” he said.
“We will continue to work with them, and with other partners including local IAGs, as the investigation and the policing response continues.”
Commissioner Valentine also expressed support for the victims’ loved ones and acknowledged the greater impact it would have on the LGBTQ+ community, saying, “I know that this awful incident will cause concern not just among residents in Shepherds Bush but in the wider LGBTQ+ community across London.”
He said though it is relatively early in the investigation, they are not searching for a second suspect connected with the two murders.
