Devon and Cornwall Police are reviewing the unexpected deaths of two men and two women at the Sandy Lodge homeless shelter in Cornwall. The deaths occurred between December 2024 and April 2025. The review is being conducted as a separate matter from the ongoing murder investigation involving James Desborough, who also stayed at the shelter.
Det Supt Rachael Bentley of Devon and Cornwall Police stated that the review was initiated after the coroner's officer informed the force of the four deaths at Sandy Lodge. A detective inspector, working within the major crime team but separate from the murder inquiry, has been reviewing the circumstances, which has included commissioning further forensic work, obtaining CCTV footage, and taking statements.
Police have confirmed that inquiries are ongoing and the deaths are currently considered unexpected. Desborough, who was recently found guilty of murdering two men he met while staying at Sandy Lodge and previously for murdering his cellmate in Exeter Prison, is not a suspect in these deaths at this time. Bentley emphasized that while police do not believe there is a link currently, the investigation is active.
Officers had attended each of the deaths at Sandy Lodge, and initial inquiries had suggested natural causes. However, these coronial investigations were paused when Desborough was arrested for murder.