Bodies in London freezer: Delay in identifying two females believed murdered in flat

A house is searched in the investigation in London. Photo / Twitter, Evening Standard

The bodies of two women found fully clothed on top of each other in a freezer at a flat in east London may not be identified for more than a week, because of the "unusual" and "complex" nature of the investigation, a senior police officer has said.

Police made the shocking discovery on Friday, after being called to a ground floor flat in the Canning Town area amid concerns for the welfare of a "male occupant", and are still carrying out investigations at the property, the Daily Telegraph reports.

A 34-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday is still being questioned by police, who have been granted an extension to allow more time to investigate his activities.

Post-mortem examinations will begin on both women tomorrow, but Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding said identification could take days as the crime scene is "one of the most challenging and complex" he has seen in 28 years.

He told reporters: "It's such an unusual scene. I haven't really seen something like this where the nature of the two bodies being frozen as they are.

"They are clothed, which I can say, and that's also causing a complexity to it as we wait to start a post-mortem."

Harding said there were no signs of any injuries on the women and he explained it was too complex to say whether the bodies were still intact.

He added: "They were in a chest freezer.

"One body on top of the other. Being in a chest freezer anyway has caused the bodies to fuse."

When asked why it is taking so long to identify the bodies he said: "It is just a completely complex situation."

Harding could not say whether the pair were adults and said DNA testing is under way as detectives work with the National Crime Agency and missing persons groups to find out who they are.

"We could be a week away from identifying them," he said.

Police said the apartment had been used by "transient members of the community" and linked to drugs.

So far two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder - a 34-year-old who remains in custody, and a 50-year-old who has been released under investigation.

Harding appealed for anyone who has visited the flat in the past year, or knows anyone who has, to come forward.

DCI Simon Harding is appealing for information after the bodies of two women were found in a freezer in East London.

If you can help, contact the incident room on 020 8721 4205, via @MetCC or @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at https://t.co/7ZFNYyXDap pic.twitter.com/VTkopQ66Sl

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 1, 2019

"I am aware that casts a wide net in terms of my appeal but we do need to build up an accurate picture of life at that flat and what occurred there."

He also confirmed that two other addresses were being searched by police. One is less than a kilometre away from the flat where the bodies were discovered and the other is in west London.

Fears have been mounting that one of the women found dead is Mary Jane Mustafa, a 38-year-old mother-of-two who went missing last May and has not been heard from by her family.

Yesterday, speaking outside the flat where the two bodies were discovered, Mel Mustafa described her sister as "the most kind hearted person that you could meet," adding: "I still don't believe it's her.

"Police have been keeping me updated, but we haven't had any confirmation, so we have to hope she is still alive," she said.

Mary Jane's cousin Ceylan Sunda added: "The whole family is upside down."

Another cousin, Ayse Hussein, 41, said: "It's a horrible waiting game. If that's not my cousin, then it's someone else's child. It's just terrible."