WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT: Joshua Miller, 32, and Jamie Cooper, 27, have been charged with preventing a lawful burial while Miller also faces a murder charge after a body was allegedly found in a suitcase
A man has been named and pictured after his decomposing body was discovered inside a suitcase at a children’s teddy bear hunt.
Joshua Miller, 32, and Jamie Cooper, 27, have been charged with preventing a lawful burial, while Miller also faces a murder charge, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police.
The duo, who reside at the same address in Wandsworth, London, are thought to have known the unidentified ‘victim’. The police were alerted about a possible murder at a property in Wandsworth late on Thursday (July 9) evening. Although no body was found at the residence, officers suspected that someone had “come to harm”, prompting an investigation.
The next day, a search was conducted at Borstal Recreation Grounds in Rochester, Kent, roughly 60 miles east of Wandsworth, where a decomposing body was discovered inside a suitcase.
According to several local reports, a children’s ‘teddy bear’ scavenger hunt was taking place at the same location when the body was found.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous but had attended the teddy bear hunt for a local nursery fundraising event, told Kent Online: “I saw the luggage before the police. I was with my niece and nephew, so I was busy keeping them from seeing it.
“What I saw was the suitcase covered in hundreds of flies. I actually heard the buzzing from them first. I noticed that it was a large suitcase.”
The victim has now been identified as Dale Mundell, 34, from Islington, with his death being treated by police as suspicious. His family are being supported by specialist officers.
The two accused men appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Monday and have been remanded into custody.
Detective Inspector Ben Dalloway, who is spearheading the investigation, stated: “Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family who are understandably distraught at their loss. We will continue to offer them every support.
“This has been a fast-moving investigation and we are working tirelessly to establish the exact circumstances of the incident.”
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