Noel Brown: Police release CCTV in bid to trace killer of sex offender whose body was found dismembered
Officers appeal for help in hunt for 'extremely important' suspect
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Scotland Yard has released CCTV footage in a bid to trace the killer of a convicted sex offender, whose limbs were removed from his flat after he was strangled and dismembered.
Noel Brown’s body was found next to his daughter, Marie Brown, 41, at his home in New Butt Lane, Deptford, south-east London, at about 2.30am on Monday 4 December.
Ms Brown is believed to have been strangled to death after disturbing the killer when she went to check on her father, 69, on Saturday 2 December.
Detectives are keeping an open mind over the motive, but are investigating whether Mr Brown’s murder was linked to his 1999 conviction for a child sex offence.
Officers are trawling through 1,000 hours of CCTV footage, and on Wednesday the Metropolitan Police released images of a man seen carrying a distinctive large backpack.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding said the suspect was thought to have visited the flat at least four times as he dismembered Mr Brown’s body.
“Parts of both his arms and a part of one of his legs have been removed from the scene and those have not been recovered,” he said.
“In my 27 years of policing, I have not seen anything quite like this.”
Mr Harding said there was no trace of the missing body parts after police divers searched nearby Deptford Creek, while specialist dogs scoured the estate.
He said: “One of our key lines of inquiry is working to establish if the person or people involved were known to Noel, and if Marie somehow disturbed them.
“We believe that at least one person, and maybe two, were going back and forth to the location over the course of the three days from the Thursday to Sunday evening, and that they were possibly even present just hours before police arrived in the early hours of the Monday morning.”
Mr Harding played down earlier speculation that Mr Brown may have been murdered over a big win at a bookies, saying he had made a “matter of pennies” when he was pictured leaving a betting shop on 30 November.
He was last seen by a neighbour at around 8pm and police believe he was killed later that night or early the following morning.
The victim was convicted of a sex offence and jailed in 1999, but has been described as “well-liked and well-respected” in the area, having been released in 2004.
Mr Harding said the victim’s criminal past was being treated as a significant line of inquiry, but added: “It could be a stranger or a failed robbery or burglary.”
The suspect is believed to have visited the flat at least four times between killing Mr Brown and the bodies being found, in what the detective described as a big risk and highly unusual.
Scotland Yard released CCTV footage and images to trace the suspect, who appears to deliberately avoid passers-by before moving back towards the block of flats at about 5am on Saturday 2 December.
Wearing dark clothes, he is said to have a slightly odd walk and is carrying a distinctive, large rucksack, featuring fluorescent bands.
Mr Harding said: “It is extremely important that we find out who this man with the rucksack is as he is now of very significant interest to our investigation.
“I hope that by putting these images out into the public domain someone will be able to lead us to his identity.
“We know from this footage and other information we have obtained that this individual can be placed at key locations for us, at key points during the time-frames we are looking at.
“We also deem that his behaviour raises questions and it is for all of these reasons I believe him to be a suspect for the murders.”
Officers are also trying to trace a woman wearing a light-coloured coat, who may have seen the man’s face as he passed, as well as the occupants of a van seen driving along Reginald Road.
Ms Brown’s family said they were still in “shock and disbelief” over the death of the mother-of-two, who worked in a creche.
“Marie was the peacemaker and we cannot understand why this would happen to her,” they said in a statement.
Joining the police appeal for information, they added: “It is obvious that we need to find the person or people who have done this to her, but we have no information and need your help.
“Please, if you know anything come forward and let the police know, even if it’s the smallest detail.
“Marie was everything and we miss her so much, we are hurting and this is painful and we don’t want this to happen to someone else.
“No-one should ever have to feel this pain. Marie was a calm peaceful person, slow to anger and quick to forgive, she never got caught up in any sort of fight and avoided feuds with anyone because she didn’t want to be a part of anyone’s upset.
“To know Marie would be to know how much she loved. Her life was her kids and how much she loved them and would do anything for them.”
Anyone with information can call contact police on 020 8721 4205, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
PA