Detectives are investigating the murder of a 19-year-old woman in south-west London in an attack in which another young woman suffered multiple stab wounds.
The woman’s body was found at a house in the plush suburb of Kingston, where she is believed to have been taken after she was abducted.
Three people have been arrested, all of whom knew the two victims of the attack, the Metropolitan police said.
Officers were alerted to concerns about the two women at about 5pm on Wednesday, two hours before the body was found. Police attended two properties in Merton and Sutton, but could not find the women.
At 7.18pm, police were called by staff at a south London hospital who were treating one of the two women. She had been attacked with a knife but managed to escape.
The surviving victim, who police say is in her 20s, gave officers information that led them to a property in Coombe Lane West, Kingston, where the 19-year-old’s body was discovered.
The Met said it had referred the case to the police watchdog, which will investigate whether the attacks could have been prevented.
Two men and a woman have been arrested in connection with the incidents. One of the men, aged 33, was tracked to a residential property in Dover, Kent, and detained on suspicion of murder. A second man, aged 28, was arrested on suspicion of murder after a vehicle was stopped in New Malden, south London. Both men remain in custody.
A woman, 29, was arrested on suspicion of helping an offender; she has been released while inquiries continue.
Det Ch Insp Samantha Price, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our investigation is at an early stage, and we are doing everything we can to fully understand the circumstances of this terrible attack on two young women.
“At this stage one line of inquiry is that the two women were taken against their will to the address in Kingston, by a man who they both knew. They were last seen safe and well at an address in Merton, prior to police being contacted about concerns for their safety and welfare.
“It is clear that both women were subject to a violent attack, resulting in the death of one woman. Fortunately one of the women managed to get away from the address and seek help. How this happened will form part of this investigation.
“I am keeping an open mind as to the motive, but we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with this case. I’d ask anyone who may have any information that could help our inquiry to get in contact and talk to us.”
Police are waiting for the results of a postmortem investigation on the woman’s body.
In a statement the Met said: “A referral was made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission due to the short time period between when the two women were reported missing to police and when one of them was found deceased.”
