Knife murder parents plead with killers
The parents of one of the two French students murdered in London a week ago in a frenzied knife attack appealed yesterday for the killer to come forward and said they would not rest until the guilty party was found.
Bio-engineering students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, both 23, were bound, gagged and repeatedly stabbed in Bonomo’s south London apartment in what police said were the most “frenzied, brutal and horrific” murders they had seen.
Police arrested a 21-year-old man on Saturday in connection with the murders and were still questioning him yesterday.
French newspapers said the shocking murders highlighted how dangerous the city had become after a spate of street teen stabbings this year that has prompted the mayor to make it a priority and police to expand a specialist knife crime squad.
“We plead with you to turn yourselves in to the police. You will not be able to live in hiding forever,” Ferez’ parents Francoise and Olivier said in a statement.
“You may be scared and feel like a coward, but you must recognise this terrible mistake you made. Rest assured that we will not leave you in peace.”
Bonomo was stabbed nearly 200 times, up to 80 of the wounds inflicted after he was dead, while Ferez received nearly 50 knife wounds.
The killer or killers then set fire to the apartment in what police said was an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.