Scotland Yard has issued an appeal for information about a series of killings where a man has been accused of drugging four men and dumping their bodies near a church graveyard in east London.
Stephen Port, 40, a former chef, is charged with poisoning and killing the four young men between June 2014 and September this year after meeting them online.
He is accused of having sex with the men while they were unconscious and then dumping their bodies around a churchyard in Barking.
Detectives said they would like to speak to anyone who has knowledge of the incidents, in the second appeal for information issued by police since the killings became public in October.
DCI Tim Duffield, from the homicide and major crime command, said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who may have information in connection with these incidents, no matter how insignificant you may think it is. If you have any reservations about speaking to the police, please rest assured that your call will be dealt with in the strictest confidence.
“For anyone who feels anxious about talking directly to the police, I would urge them to speak to organisations such as Galop, a specialist charity that supports LGBT people affected by violence and abuse. They will be able to facilitate appropriate support and advice, maintain confidentiality and treat anything you tell them with the utmost sensitivity.”
Fashion student Anthony Walgate, 23, was found dead on Cooke Street in Barking on 19 June 2014. Two months later, on 28 August, the body of 22-year-old Gabriel Kovari was discovered close to a churchyard nearby. On 20 September last year the body of Daniel Whitworth, 21, was found in the same spot.
A year later, on 14 September this year, 21-year-old Jack Taylor was found dead in Barking Abbey ruins. All four bodies were found within a 300-metre radius. The four men had been poisoned with the party drug GHB, police said.
Port, of Barking, is due to stand trial in April over the alleged murders.
