A murder investigation is underway after a suitcase containing a body was discovered by families participating in a teddy bear hunt. Police were called to Borstal Recreation Ground in Rochester, Kent, on Friday following the discovery.
Two men, aged 27 and 32, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody. The Metropolitan Police stated that the victim and the two arrested men knew each other. A third man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and has since been released on bail.
The investigation began approximately 30 miles away in Wandsworth, southwest London, on Thursday evening after police received a report of a potential murder at a house. Officers attended the property but found no one inside. Following a search, they concluded that a person had come to harm at the address, prompting the launch of an investigation.
A cordon remained in place at Borstal Recreation Ground as police continued their search. One resident, who was at the park for the teddy bear hunt fundraiser, described seeing the suitcase covered in flies and noted a snow sledge next to it. She stated she made the discovery before the police arrived.
Rochester and Strood MP Lauren Edwards called the news 'distressing' and expressed her thoughts with the victim's family. She noted that the Met Police do not believe there is a wider risk to the public and welcomed increased community engagement by Kent Police in the Borstal area.
Detective Inspector Ben Dalloway, leading the investigation, stated that thoughts remain with the victim's family and that the investigation is fast-moving. He urged anyone with information to contact the police by calling 101, referencing CAD 9504/9JUL.