A man has been charged with murdering a millionaire couple who were found dead with synthetic opioid fentanyl in their bodies.
Luke D’Wit, 33, has been charged with two counts of murder after Stephen and Carol Baxter, 61 and 64, were found dead in their home in Colchester, Essex, on April 9.
D’Wit was also charged with one count of possession of a Class A drug, and one count of theft. He will appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
The Baxters were at first believed to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after they were found dead in armchairs at their five-bedroom detached home.
But police who originally treated the deaths as non-suspicious arrested three people on Thursday on suspicion of their murder following a toxicology report.
Luke D’Wit, 33, has been charged with two counts of murder after Stephen (left) and Carol Baxter (right), 61 and 64, were found dead in their home in Colchester, Essex, on April 9
The Baxters were at first believed to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after they were found dead in armchairs at their five bedroom detached home (pictured)
Neighbours of Mrs and Mrs Baxter who had lived for 13 years in a modern weather-boarded detached house in Victory Road, West Mersea, told of their shock today after police revealed the three people had been arrested.
Several local residents said they had been aware that Mrs Baxter had been ill, but they still saw her and her husband out and about.
One said today: ‘I knew Carol had been unwell because I had not seen her for some time. When I spoke to her at the end of last year, she said she had been unwell and not going out much.
‘She was a hard worker and was a nice and friendly person. I remember them saying that they were looking for somewhere else to live because they wanted to downsize.’
Another neighbour who asked not to be named said: ‘People knew they were in poor health. But nobody around here thinks that they were murdered. It would cause amazement if that turned out to be the case.’
A third resident said: ‘I used to see Carol walking her black Labrador up the road and she often had time for a chat. There was a drinks party outside to celebrate the end of lockdown and they seemed fine then with no hint of any health problems.
The couple, who were married in 2000, had two children together. Mrs Baxter, a former adult educator, had two more children from two previous marriage
‘Maybe they took an overdose because they didn’t want to live, but why would you do that when you have children? They had a little grandson as well.’
Mrs Baxter was managing director of a company called Cazsplash Ltd, selling bath mats designed to fit snugly around modern curved or corner showers, along with matching towels.
Her husband was a fellow director of the business which was launched 11-years-ago, according to Companies House records.
He was also global lead, operational risk and assurance, for multi-billion-pound transnational real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, which was founded in the UK but has its headquarters in Chicago.
The couple who married in 2000 had two children together. Mrs Baxter, a former adult educator, had two more children from two previous marriages.
They were known to be social members at West Mersea Yacht Club which flew its flag at half mast after their deaths.
The couple were found dead in their chairs on Easter Sunday by their daughter Ellie, 22, when she turned up to visit them with her one-year-old son Axel.
Ms Baxter described how she flung open bi-fold doors to let fresh air in as she suspected a carbon monoxide leak.
She said at the time: ‘It was absolutely awful to see. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. But what I keep going back to is that they were sitting there together and were peaceful. There were no signs of a struggle or any pain.’
Miss Baxter added: ‘They were very loving. Family always came first. They made sure that we always had what we needed and then some.’
Firefighters cordoned off the road outside the couple’s home for several hours after their bodies were found, amid fears that there had been a gas leak.
Mrs Baxter was managing director of Cazsplash Ltd, a bathroom accessories firm which sells corner and curved shower mats
One nearby resident said she had been told to stay in her home for two hours, said: ‘There was talk about their deaths being due to some sort of gas leak. But I remember it was a hot Easter Sunday afternoon when they would not be sitting in a room with closed windows and doors.’
An inquest opened held at Essex Coroner’s Court this week heard how Mrs Baxter’s provisional cause of death had been given as combined fentanyl and promethazine toxicity with terminal bronchopneumonia.
A provisional cause of death for Mr Baxter was given as ‘cardiomegaly and alcoholic liver disease with fentanyl intoxication’.
Essex Area Coroner Sean Horstead told the hearing: ‘On the basis of the information, I am satisfied that this requires a full inquest.
‘At the request of the police, I will suspend the coronial investigation for four months.’
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine but up to 100 times more potent. It is a Class A drug which is used legitimately by doctors to treat patients with severe pain.
In the US, it was linked to about two-thirds of the 107,000 deaths caused by opioids in 2021.
Anyone with information can contact Essex Police by submitting information on a specially set up public portal.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk