Former legal secretary, 46, found strangled to death may have rotted in her flat for a month say neighbours who called police when they spotted maggots outside her front door
- Police found body of Zoe Orton at a flat in Deptford on Monday morning
- Officers attended property over ‘concern for the welfare of an occupant’
- Post mortem examination gave the cause of death as neck compression
- Homicide detectives from Scotland Yard’s specialist crime lead the probe
The body of a 46-year-old woman found strangled to death in her flat may have rotted in London for a month, shocked neighbours claimed today.
Police discovered the decomposed body of Zoe Orton after her next-door neighbour spotted maggots outside her front door in Deptford, South East London, on Monday.
Scotland Yard murder detectives appealed for witnesses as a manhunt for her killer in what is the 120th homicide in the capital this year was launched today.
Police officers guard the scene in Deptford, South East London, today as the probe continues
Her neighbour Adeni Mohamad, 54, who lives in the red brick new-build four-storey council block of flats, said his wife had likened the smell to a ‘dead animal’.
The father-of-two said: ‘I’m not happy that I’ve to come out my door and smell that very strange odour. We started calling the council for three or four weeks.
‘The odours started coming – three or four weeks that I would be smelling it. I asked my wife to call them before. I think a couple of days and then she found maggots on the floor, on her doorstep.
‘A couple of days ago and then we called the council and they ran down to the police and they broke into the door.
‘I saw her almost two months ago. When we started, there were black tiny ants. My wife called them (neighbours) to come down, they didn’t come.
A murder hunt has been launched after a woman was found strangled to death in the flat
‘It’s inside of our kitchen which is unusual which is why we asked the council to come and check, maybe the next door neighbour left some food but they didn’t come down, they are careless.
‘After I kept complaining about a smell then I asked her to call them and then she called them and they didn’t do anything.
‘On Monday when she went out with my son, she now saw the maggots on the floor at the entrance. I didn’t think she would be dead.’
His wife, who declined to be named, said: ‘I tried to call them but they were always engaged.
The body of Zoe Orton was found at a property on this road in Deptford, South East London
‘On Monday morning as I was taking my child downstairs when I looked at it, it was three maggots. I thought it was a dead animal.’
She had ‘no idea’ how long her neighbour may have been dead.
Mr Mohamad added: ‘As far as I know I think she lives alone. I’ve got underage children and I’m not happy that I’ve to be smelling strange odours.’
Police discovered the body of Ms Orton at the property in Deptford on Monday at 10am after officers arrived there over ‘concern for the welfare of an occupant’.
The murder, which was announced by police today, is the 120th to be investigated in London so far this year (as seen in this graphic), although only four of these have been in October
A post mortem examination took place the next day, giving the cause of death as neck compression. Ms Orton’s next of kin have been informed.
Homicide detectives from Scotland Yard’s specialist crime are leading the investigation over the incident on McMillan Street, but there have been no arrests.
The murder, which was announced by police today, is the 120th to be investigated in London so far this year, although only four of these have been in October.
The other three were the deaths of Baptista Adjie, 15, in Stratford and Clinton Evbota, 18, in Camberwell, both on October 10, and Ben Lines, 20, in Bexley on October 13.
Anyone with details that could help the probe is asked to contact the force incident room on 020 8721 4961 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
# | NAME | AGE | DATE | INCIDENT TIME | STREET | LOCATION |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Charlotte Huggins | 32 | Jan 1 | 4.20am | John Ruskin Street | Camberwell |
2 | Tudor Simionov | 33 | Jan 1 | 5.36am | Park Lane | Mayfair |
3 | Simbiso Aretha Moula | 39 | Jan 4 | 7.50am | Lower Mardyke Avenue | Rainham |
4 | Sarah Ashraf | 35 | Jan 6 | 6.20pm | East Ferry Road | Isle of Dogs |
5 | Jayden Moody | 14 | Jan 7 | 6.30pm | Bickley Road | Waltham Forest |
6 | Asma Begum | 31 | Jan 11 | 4.00pm | City Island Way | Canning Town |
7 | Kamil Malysz | 34 | Jan 27 | 10.15am | Alfred Way | Acton |
8 | Nedim Bilgin | 17 | Jan 29 | 6.49pm | Tilloch Street | Islington |
9 | Carl Thorpe | 46 | Feb 4 | 6.30am | Dartmouth Park Hill | Highgate |
10 | Lejean Richards | 19 | Feb 5 | 7.52pm | Wolsey Court | Battersea |
11 | Dennis Anderson | 39 | Feb 10 | 2.35am | Lordship Lane | East Dulwich |
12 | Bright Akinlele | 22 | Feb 18 | 10.44pm | Euston Street | Camden |
13 | Brian Wieland | 69 | Feb 19 | 1.12pm | Genever Close | Chingford |
14 | Glendon Spence | 23 | Feb 21 | 6.45pm | Minet Road | Brixton |
15 | Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck | 19 | Feb 22 | 8.09pm | Vincent Road | Wood Green |
16 | David Lopez-Fernandez | 38 | Feb 25 | 2.35pm | Globe Road | Tower Hamlets |
17 | Che Morrison | 20 | Feb 26 | 8.48pm | Cranbrook Road | Ilford |
18 | Jodie Chesney | 17 | Mar 1 | 9.25pm | St Neot’s Road | Harold Hill |
19 | Elize Linda Stevens | 50 | Mar 2 | 10.19am | Great North Way | Hendon |
20 | Jolia Bogdan | 3 months | Mar 2 | 11.57am | Tamworth Road | Croydon |
21 | Mohamed Elmi | 37 | Mar 3 | 6.00am | Romily Street | Soho |
22 | Laureline Garcia-Bertaux | 34 | Mar 6 | pm | Darell Road | Kew |
23 | David Martinez | 26 | Mar 6 | 4.25pm | North Birkbeck Road | Leyton |
24 | Antoinette Donnegan | 52 | Mar 7 | 6.40pm | Este Road | Battersea |
25 | Ayub Hassan | 17 | Mar 7 | 2.14pm | Lanfrey Place | West Kensington |
26 | Florin Pitic | 20 | Mar 10 | 0.30am | Queensbury station | Brent |
27 | Nathaniel Armstrong | 29 | Mar 16 | 12.37am | Gowan Avenue | Fulham |
28 | Abdirashid Mohamoud | 17 | Mar 22 | 10.35pm | Union Lane | Isleworth |
29 | Ravi Katharkamar | 54 | Mar 24 | 6.00am | Marsh Road | Pinner |
30 | Ramane Richard Wiggan | 25 | Mar 27 | 4.11pm | Friar Mews | West Norwood |
31 | Zahir Visiter | 25 | Mar 28 | 6.15pm | Cunningham Place | Regents Park |
32 | Gavin Garraway | 40 | Mar 29 | 2.37pm | Clapham Park Road | Clapham |
33 | Calvin Bungisa | 22 | Apr 1 | 8.30pm | Grafton Road | Kentish Town |
34 | Hubert Hall | 60 | Apr 2 | 6.44am | Hoe Street | Walthamstow |
35 | Annabelle Lancaster | 22 | Apr 7 | 5.49pm | Turkey Street | Enfield |
36 | Noore Bashir Salad | 22 | Apr 8 | 9.26pm | Church Road | Manor Park |
37 | Gopinath Kasivisuwanathan | 27 | Apr 16 | 1.28am | Ealing Road | Wembley |
38 | Steven Brown | 47 | Apr 17 | 5.47pm | Matthias Road | Stoke Newington |
39 | Meshach Williams | 21 | Apr 23 | 9.00pm | High Street | Harlesden |
40 | Mihrican Mustafa | 38 | Apr 26 | 11.45am | Vandome Close | Canning Town |
41 | Henriett Szucs | 34 | Apr 26 | 11.45am | Vandome Close | Canning Town |
42 | Amy Parsons | 35 | Apr 26 | 1.30pm | Crowder Street | Whitechapel |
43 | Joshua White | 29 | Apr 26 | 2.43pm | Frampton Park Road | Hackney |
44 | Tashaun Aird | 15 | May 1 | 8.54pm | Somerford Grove | Hackney |
45 | Constantin Sin | 51 | May 5 | 0.40am | High Road | Leytonstone |
46 | McCaulay Urugbezi-Edwards | 18 | May 5 | 9.30pm | Tiverton Street | Southwark |
47 | Barrington Davis | 54 | May 16 | 7.00am | Torridon Road | Lewisham |
48 | Vladimir Koudriavtsev | 69 | May 23 | 6.40am | Appleford Road | Kensington |
49 | Tatiana Koudriavtsev | 68 | May 23 | 6.40am | Appleford Road | Kensington |
50 | Iderval da Silva | 46 | May 25 | 4.32pm | Charlotte Despard Avenue | Battersea |
51 | Alimal Islam | 23 | May 26 | 4.30pm | St Pauls Way | Tower Hamlets |
52 | Ismaila Ceesay | 33 | May 28 | 1.15am | Warwick Road | Forest Gate |
53 | Steven Kennedy | 61 | May 30 | 11.35am | Plaistow Park | Plaistow |
54 | Graham Howe | 53 | May 30 | 11.05pm | Preston Road | Harrow |
55 | Baris Kucuk | 33 | Jun 1 | 3.09am | Seven Sisters Road | Haringey |
56 | Adrian Murphy | 43 | Jun 4 | 6.38pm | Lombard Road | Battersea |
57 | Cheyon Evans | 18 | Jun 14 | 4.42pm | Deeside Road | Wandsworth |
58 | Eniola Aluko | 19 | Jun 14 | 4.56pm | Hartville Road | Plumstead |
59 | Gleb Stanislavovitch Zhebrovsky | 34 | Jun 15 | 1.58pm | Alton Street | Tower Hamlets |
60 | Giedrius Juskauskas | 42 | Jun 16 | 0.40am | Whalebone Lane | Stratford |
61 | Stepan Suslyk | 40 | Jun 16 | Early hours | Holland Park Avenue | Notting Hill |
62 | David Bello-Monerville | 38 | Jun 18 | 10.50pm | Welbeck Road | Barnet |
63 | Ionut Manea | 63 | Jun 18 | 11.45pm | A406 | Ilford |
64 | Edward Simpson | 25 | Jun 21 | 11.08pm | Watermill Way | Feltham |
65 | Yusuf Mohamed | 18 | Jun 26 | 9.20pm | Uxbridge Road | Shepherds Bush |
66 | Kelly Mary Fauvrelle | 26 | Jun 29 | 3.30am | Raymead Avenue | Croydon |
67 | Riley Fauvrelle | 5 days | Jun 29 | 3.30am | Raymead Avenue | Croydon |
68 | Ian Taylor | 54 | Jun 29 | 5.55pm | Coldharbour Lane | Lambeth |
69 | Fuad Habib | 28 | Jun 29 | 11.07pm | Wakefield Street | Newham |
70 | Gary Blagrove | 44 | Jun 29 | TBC | New Kings Road | Fulham |
71 | Amara Toure | 18 | Jun 30 | 4.51am | Sutherland Walk | Southwark |
72 | Tesfa Campbell | 40 | Jul 3 | 2.45pm | Latchmere Road | Wandsworth |
73 | Craig Walters (Craig Small) | 32 | Jul 5 | 8.10pm | Harrow Road | Wembley |
74 | Amanda Gretton | 57 | Jul 5 | 5.00pm | Prendergast Road | Blackheath |
75 | Grineo Daka | 27 | Jul 7 | 3.00am | Lea Bridge Road | Leyton |
76 | Kwasi Mensah-Ababio | 26 | Jul 8 | 7.05pm | Monks Park Gardens | Wembley |
77 | Leo Marcus | 22 | Jul 10 | 2.40pm | Tellson Avenue | Kidbrooke |
78 | Boluwatife Oyewunmi | 22 | Jul 11 | TBC | Lincolon Road | Enfield |
79 | Kye Manning | 19 | Jul 11 | 9.10pm | Brighton Road | Croydon |
80 | Akbar Arezo | 64 | Jul 12 | 9.41am | Redfern Avenue | Whitton |
81 | Layla Arezo | 74 | Jul 12 | 9.41am | Redfern Avenue | Whitton |
82 | Aron Kato | 28 | Jul 17 | 10.20am | Ley Street | Ilford |
83 | Diane Dyer | 61 | Jul 18 | 11.08pm | Oakwood Avenue | Beckenham |
84 | Abdullahi Hassan | 20 | Jul 25 | 11.45pm | Boundary Road | South Hampstead |
85 | Robert Komuro | 41 | Jul 23 | 10.00pm | Gordon Road | Hillingdon |
86 | Liam Dent | 25 | Jul 26 | 00.13am | Moor Lane | Chessington |
87 | Alciveadis Mauredis | 60 | Jul 31 | TBC | St John’s Way | Islington |
88 | Dorothy Woolmer | 89 | Aug 3 | 11.00am | Waltheof Gardens | Tottenham |
89 | Mohammed Shah Subhani | 27 | Aug 5 | TBC | Heston | Hounslow |
90 | Alex Smith | 16 | Aug 12 | 11.10pm | Munster Square | Camden |
91 | Solomon Small | 18 | Aug 15 | 2.00pm | Corrance Road | Lambeth |
92 | Amrou Greenidge | 18 | Aug 20 | TBC | Broomhouse Lane | Fulham |
93 | Allan Isichei | 69 | Aug 24 | 6.41pm | St. Mary’s Avenue | Southall |
94 | Santino Angelo Dymiter | 18 | Aug 26 | 3.30pm | Chadd Green | Newham |
95 | Lee Casey | 39 | Aug 29 | 12.00pm | Brixton Hill | Brixton |
96 | Unnamed child | 15 months | Aug 27 | TBC | TBC | Putney |
97 | Laura Rakstelyte | 31 | Aug 29 | 12.57pm | The Drive | Ilford |
98 | Perry Jordan-Brammer | 15 | Aug 30 | 11.15am | Willan Road | Tottenham |
99 | Sandra Samuels | 45 | Aug 31 | 13:30pm | Herrick House, Howard Road | Hackney |
100 | Norman Bertran-Tavarez | 24 | Sep 1 | 11.30pm | Elephant and Castle station | Southwark |
101 | Michael Irving | 15 | Sep 3 | 6.45pm | Byford Close | Stratford |
102 | Unnamed man | 20s | Sep 8 | 3.45pm | Sydenham Road | Lewisham |
103 | Sahkira Mercedes Gwendolin Loseke | 20s | Sep 8 | 11.55pm | Belmont Street | Chalk Farm |
104 | Wilson Alexandre Garcia Varela | 24 | Sep 9 | 0.10am | Malden Road | Kentish Town |
105 | Josiph Beker (Youssef al-Bayjani) | 17 | Sep 10 | 1.54pm | Church Street | Edgware Road |
106 | Unnamed girl | 8 weeks | Sep 12 | 4.01pm | Unnamed Road | SE16 |
107 | Assad Abdullah Yarow | 25 | Sep 12 | 11.10pm | Camden High Street | Camden |
108 | Omar Smith | 34 | Sep 13 | 11.55pm | Downham Way | Lewisham |
109 | Unnamed girl | 16 months | Sep 13 | TBC | TBC | Plaistow |
110 | Julio Gomes | 29 | Sep 14 | 8.10pm | Houndsfield Road | Edmonton |
111 | Mark McCann-Barrett | 33 | Sep 17 | 9.27am | Lansdowne Road | Walthamstow |
112 | Serafima Meshaka | 58 | Sep 18 | 1.17pm | Haven Green Court | Ealing |
113 | Sufi Osman | 22 | Sep 23 | 4.00am | The Broadway | Southall |
114 | Tashan Daniel | 20 | Sep 24 | 4.00pm | Hillingdon Station | Hillingdon |
115 | Osvaldo Carvalho | 22 | Sep 24 | 6.00pm | West Lodge Avenue | Ealing |
116 | Arlene Williams | 46 | Sep 28 | 7.23pm | Tennyson Close | Enfield |
117 | Baptista Adjie | 15 | Oct 10 | 3.20pm | Tramway Avenue | Stratford |
118 | Clinton Evbota | 18 | Oct 10 | 8.21pm | Grimsel Path | Camberwell |
119 | Ben Lines | 20 | Oct 13 | 2.48pm | Barnehurst Avenue | Bexley |
120 | Zoe Orton | 46 | Oct 21 | 10.00am | McMillan Street | Deptford |