Sabina Nessa: Man appears in court charged with murder

A man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with the murder of Sabina Nessa, who was killed as she walked to meet a friend in south-east London. Nessa, who was just 16, was found dead in her home on 17 October, with two stab wounds to the neck and a third wound to the chest. She had been stabbed three times, once in the back, probably execution style. Police found a knife with fingerprints belonging to the suspect at the scene, but it could not be linked to the murder. A motive for the murder is unknown, and police have appealed for witnesses.

Nessa’s body was found with a knife in the back, a third wound to the chest, and a fourth wound to the neck. DNA from the murderer, the murder weapon, the murder weapon and the victim was found on the handle of the murder weapon. Police are treating the murder as a homicide, as Nessa had not been stabbed “execution style” as claimed by her murderer. Detectives suspect foul play, but cannot yet say with certainty whether she was killed by someone known to her, or by someone unknown.

The man arrested is known to the police for drug-related offences and is of Portuguese-Asian appearance. He appeared in court on Wednesday 25 October and the court ordered his detention until 23 November.

Sabina’s case was reported on 7 October, when Sabina, aged 22, was reported missing. She was last seen leaving her home at 4.30pm on 4 October, with one of her friends. She made a call to a male friend from a payphone in the street which was just 300 metres from her home. Her car, a white Ford Focus, was still there at 5.15pm. Her friends gave a statement, saying that Sabina had a good job and had money and a place to go. On 5 October, two days after Sabina vanished, her body was found in woodland about 1km from her home. Her throat had been slashed, and a knife mark on her back. Police said they believed it was a murder by strangulation. DNA from the murderer, the murder weapon, the murder weapon and Sabina was found on the handle of the murder weapon. Police are treating Sabina’s murder as a homicide, because strangulation was not involved.

Police also say they suspect foul play. They are asking the public for information about the actions of a male they called “M”, who is described as being of stocky build and of “average” height and build. The man is white, 6ft tall, of average build and had shoulder length hair. It was said to have been dyed blonde. He was driving a light coloured four door car with silver rims. Sabina was last seen wearing a knee length pink waist length dress with a pink design on the front and a pink stripe on the skirt and a white hat.

A DNA sample from M was found on the murder weapon and the body. There are no visible injuries and there were no signs of forced entry. Police are still considering Sabina’s suspicious disappearance as a murder, with all these clues at the scene.

The police have offered a 20,000 reward for information that helps bring the killer to justice. Police are considering a line of enquiry that the killers were one and the same, because of the similarity of the style of clothing, the wounds, the blood splatter and the DNA on the murder weapon. The killer used a “weapon” to cause Sabina’s death, perhaps an instrument that caused her injuries.

The police have released photographs of a male they are calling “M” and say that he has a fair complexion, 6ft tall, of stocky build and of “average” height and build. The police say that his hair was dyed blonde and that he had shoulder length hair. He was wearing a pink knee length dress and a pink and white hat.

The police are still investigating Sabina’s death as a homicide. Although no murder weapon has been found, the police say that it could be a broken wine glass, a broken blunt instrument or blunt force trauma. There is no sign of forced entry. Although no one witnessed the killers entering the home, a broken window was found near Sabina’s body and a broken lamp stand was discovered a few feet from Sabina’s body.

What is the police investigating? It is being considered a homicide and Sabina’s death could be a “random” act of violence, a case of “road rage” or a revenge killing. This is speculation, yet. There has been no DNA found that can link M or Sabina together. Police cannot determine a motive or a “pattern” of violence between M and Sabina, although evidence found at the crime scene indicates a motive to kill Sabina. There is no evidence of a pattern of violence with respect to the use of Sabina’s body or her personal effects. All these factors indicate that there was no motive to kill Sabina, or anyone, except maybe M. This is not a random act of violence.

It appears that at this point police are attempting to “re-enact” Sabina’s death. There is no pattern of violence, and we have police re-enacting the murder of Sabina in their investigative efforts. That is, they are trying to recreate Sabina’s death. It is reminiscent of a movie or game show. It is like the police are trying to recreate Sabina’s death, in a television series, and if they are successful, then the criminal is still at large. It is as if the killer wants to make Sabina’s death look like a movie re-enactment, to make it look like a re-enactment. It is just like the way movie scripts work.

That is, Sabina’s murder will look like a re-enactment.