Despite the fact that the two male victims were once romantically involved and continued to share a residence, authorities are not inclined to suspect a homophobic intent behind their tragic demise.
A man accused of murdering and dismembering two victims he was allegedly staying with in West London — before tossing their body parts on a Bristol bridge — has been accused of murder.
On Monday, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed 34-year-old Yostin Andres Mosquera (above left) has been arrested and charged with the murders of 62-year-old Albert Alfonso and 71-year-old Paul Longworth (above center and right, respectively).
Mosquera reportedly made a brief appearance in court this morning, per the BBC, and only spoke to confirm his name, address and date of birth. He’ll be back in court Wednesday.
According to police, Mosquera was known to both victims, who had previously been in a relationship with one another and still lived together in a shared apartment. The suspect, said authorities, “had been staying with them” for “a short period of time.”
Photos of the three on flickr show them together back in March in Cartagena, in the suspect’s native country of Colombia. Another photo seemingly taken by Alfonso — an avid traveler — back in February also showed Mosquera eating fish and chips in London.
“My flickr account is not about me, however i want to leave a digital print of my brief appearance on earth,” Alfonso wrote in the About portion of his flickr page.
While the two male victims were previously in a relationship together, authorities said that “the evidence gathered so far does not suggest there was a homophobic motive in this case.” That being said, the incident has been categorized as a hate crime per national guidelines and “will be reviewed as any clearer evidence of a specific motive becomes available.”
The search for Mosquera began last week, after police responded to a report of a man behaving “suspiciously” at the Clifton Suspension Bridge around midnight. Authorities then discovered body parts of the two victims in suitcases at the landmark.
Mosquera was arrested Saturday and, after the victim’s home was raided Friday, additional human remains were found inside.
“My thoughts are first and foremost with Albert and Paul’s loved ones who are coming to terms with this terrible news,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine in a statement.
“I know that this awful incident will cause concern not just among residents in Shepherds Bush but in the wider LGBTQ+ community across London. I hope it will be of some reassurance that whilst enquiries are still ongoing and the investigation is at a relatively early stage, we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the two murders,” added Valentine.
“Officers have worked with the pan-London LGBTQ+ Independent Advisory Group (IAG) since the identity of the two victims and their sexuality was established,” he concluded. “Their advice, expertise and support for the investigation has been extremely valuable.”
via: TooFab
