Murder probe is launched after bodies of two women are found at east London home 

A missing mother is feared to be one of two women found dead ‘in a freezer’ in an east London flat.   

Police made the gruesome find after they were called to a ground floor flat in a residential block in Canning Town on Friday morning, responding to a welfare check. 

No one has been arrested and, three days on, police experts are still trying to establish the identities and ages of the two people killed. 

The flat is said to be the home of a registered sex offender who has vanished and not been since before police arrived.

It is believed one of the bodies could be mother-of-two Mary Jane Mustafa, 38, who disappeared last May and who neighbours say was a friend of the resident. 

Officers have now launched a murder probe and are urging anyone with information to come forward. 

Police experts are still trying to establish the identities and ages of the two people killed with fears that one could be missing mother-of-two, Mary Jane Mustafa from Canning Town

The flat is said to be the home of a registered sex offender, although no details have been given of any potential suspects

The flat is said to be the home of a registered sex offender, although no details have been given of any potential suspects

Police outside residential address on Vandome Close, E16, where two bodies have been found

Police outside residential address on Vandome Close, E16, where two bodies have been found

Forensics officers bag unknown items outside the property which is occupied by 'sex offender'

Forensics officers bag unknown items outside the property which is occupied by ‘sex offender’

When approached last night by Mail Online, Ms Mustafa's family said police had not been in contact with them and they still hope that she will return home after being missing for a year

When approached last night by Mail Online, Ms Mustafa’s family said police had not been in contact with them and they still hope that she will return home after being missing for a year

A police source said: ‘The bodies were found in the freezer inside the flat apparently.

‘There were two victims. One of them is understood to have been on the Missing Persons list for quite some time.

‘The man whose flat it is understood to be a registered sex offender.’ 

The last time Ms Mustafa was spotted alive was with £3 on a journey to a shop in May 2018. 

However, when approached last night by Mail Online, her family said the police had not been in contact with them and they still have hope that she will return home. 

One of the bodies is believed to be that of Mary Jane Mustafa, a 38-year-old mother

One of the bodies is believed to be that of Mary Jane Mustafa, a 38-year-old mother

Her niece Hazel Ozulku wrote on Facebook last night: ‘There is no need to think negative at this point because we still believe she is fine and she will come home.’

Her sister Zeynep Mustafa Sukan wrote: ‘When are you coming home, sis? I miss you like you wouldn’t believe!’

A missing persons investigation was launched last year into the disappearance of Ms Mustafa, originally from Cyprus.

In January, her cousin Ayse Hussain urged anyone with information to come forward.

She said: ‘She’s missed her own birthday, her daughter’s birthday and now Christmas.

‘I’ve been looking after her kids now and then, and I took her daughter Christmas shopping to keep her distracted. We just say mum has gone to sort herself out and say she’ll be back soon.

‘Her daughter has just started secondary school and her son is 19.’

Police made the gruesome find after they were called to a ground floor flat in a residential block in Canning Town on Friday morning. Police pictured at the scene with forensics officers

Police made the gruesome find after they were called to a ground floor flat in a residential block in Canning Town on Friday morning. Police pictured at the scene with forensics officers

Some neighbours in the area said that Ms Mustafa was known to be friends with a convicted sex offender that lived in the block. 

They added that by the time police turned up on Friday, the man had disappeared from the property.  

Scotland Yard said they were called to the property shortly before midday on Friday by someone worried about the resident of the flat.

A police spokesman said: ‘Officers subsequently gained entry and discovered two bodies dead at the scene.

‘The bodies are believed to be those of two females. We are working to carry out formal identification and trace next of kin.

‘Post-mortem examinations will be held in due course. The investigation is being led by the Homicide and Major Crime Command.

‘There have been no arrests at this stage and inquiries continue.’ 

'Post-mortem examinations will be held in due course. The investigation is being led by the Homicide and Major Crime Command,' police said. Forensic officers pictured leaving the flat

‘Post-mortem examinations will be held in due course. The investigation is being led by the Homicide and Major Crime Command,’ police said. Forensic officers pictured leaving the flat

'The bodies are believed to be those of two females. We are working to carry out formal identification and trace next of kin,' police said

'The bodies are believed to be those of two females. We are working to carry out formal identification and trace next of kin,' police said

‘The bodies are believed to be those of two females. We are working to carry out formal identification and trace next of kin,’ police said

A police cordon remains in place at a flat in east London where two bodies were found

A police cordon remains in place at a flat in east London where two bodies were found

A neighbour claimed to know the suspect, dubbing him a ‘scumbag’. 

‘He used to have parties in his flat where he’d bring a lot of girls and there’s be a lot of noise,’ the neighbour said. 

‘Sometimes you’d hear shouting and arguing and you’d wonder what was going on down there.

‘I last saw him last Thursday when I confronted him about taking money off a 90-year-old friend of mine.

‘He looked worried and said to me ‘now is not a good time’.

‘There was a woman with him, who I think was his carer because he had all sorts of health problems.

Police, with a forensics tent, on scene outside a residential address on Vandome Close, E16

Police, with a forensics tent, on scene outside a residential address on Vandome Close, E16

Forensics officers seen leaving the building with a camera and lighting equipment

Forensics officers seen leaving the building with a camera and lighting equipment

Forensics officers seen leaving the building with a camera and lighting equipment

‘She looked visibly shaken and was shaking her head and crossing herself in a religious way.

‘Now that I’ve found out that two bodies were discovered in his flat, it all makes sense. ‘

A woman visiting the murder scene just after 6pm tonight said she feared at first that her aunt, who lives at number 60, could have been one of the murder victims because she lives in the red brick two storey building.

She said: ‘I couldn’t tell you anything about what’s happened.

‘I just came to check on my aunt who lives here.

‘I’ve had her mum on the phone too.

‘When we saw the news we were worried it was her. But, thank God, she’s okay.’

The bodies were found in a property in this cul-de-sac in Canning Town on Friday

The bodies were found in a property in this cul-de-sac in Canning Town on Friday

A woman who lives on the ground floor flat of the council block to the right of the murder scene said she used to hear the man drinking outside with others.

She said: ‘I used to hear them drinking outside, but that is all I know.’

Another neighbour, who gave only the name ‘Jake’, said the man who lived in the flat would often invite women with drug addictions to stay with him temporarily.

He said: ‘He and his mates would take girls back to the flat, sometimes they’d stay round there for days.

‘There would be loud noises from all night parties.’

There were also suggestions one of the victims had been reported missing from home some time ago as police went house-to-house in the area on Saturday asking residents questions.

A neighbour claimed to know the suspect, dubbing him a 'scumbag'. Police pictured at scene

A neighbour claimed to know the suspect, dubbing him a ‘scumbag’. Police pictured at scene

One resident of the block of flats, who did not want to be named, said he had only just found out about two bodies being found.

‘I’m astonished, it’s a little community,’ he said.

‘We’re all tight-knit around here, everybody knows everybody.’

Scotland Yard last night said it was still working on identifying the victims and would not comment on claims made by locals.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course, the force said.

Yesterday, forensics officers were seen carrying sealed evidence bags out of the flat as a police officer stood guarding the entrance to the block.

The glass in the building’s front door had been covered up to prevent people seeing inside.

Met Commander Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Tucker said: ‘The launch of any murder investigation is naturally of concern to the local community and we have borough officers in the area supporting colleagues from the Homicide and Major Crime Command as they investigate the full circumstances.

‘A crime scene is in place and we would encourage anyone with information about what may have happened at this premises to contact police on 101, quoting CAD 4303/26APR.’ 

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