Police believe they have found Abdul Ezedi dead in the Thames after a body was spotted in the water by a passing boat.
Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi
The Afghan-born asylum seeker was wanted for a brutal attack on a mother and her children in Clapham, London, where he doused them in alkaline.
The convicted sex offender carried out his horrific chemical attack on January 31 before fleeing, having appeared to have also burnt his own face in the assault.
He was last seen alive on CCTV later that evening leaning over London’s Chelsea Bridge.
In a fresh development, Scotland Yard said the crew of a passing boat reported they had seen a body in the water near Tower Pier, east London at 4pm yesterday. The scene is several miles from Chelsea.
The body was recovered by the Met’s Marine Policing Unit and has been viewed by detectives working on the investigation.
Official Statement
Commander Jon Savell said: ‘Based on the distinctive clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack and property found on his body, we strongly believe we have recovered the body of Ezedi.
‘We have been in contact with his family to pass on the news.
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Formal Identification is NOT Possible
‘As you may expect after a considerable period of time in the strong current of the Thames, formal identification is not possible visually, nor from fingerprints. We will work with the coroner on other ways to complete formal identification, such as DNA testing and dental records. That may take some time.
‘Our enquiries continue into the attack. I am pleased to say the condition of the 31-year-old woman has improved. She remains in hospital but she is in a stable condition and no longer sedated. We have still not been able to speak to her but hope to as soon as she is well enough.
‘Again, I thank all those hundreds of members of the public who called us with information during the hunt for Ezedi. The public support for our investigation was overwhelming and every piece of information provided was followed up.’
Ezedi had not been seen since he allegedly poured the chemical on the woman and her two children, aged three and eight.
The mother-of-two was left in a critical condition sedated in hospital with police revealing she is still ‘too [poorly to speak’ due to her ‘significant injuries’.
