UK- Marina Koppel, 39, SW, stabbed 140 times, London, Aug. '94, hair trapped in her ring & footprint identified suspect as Sandip Patel, 21, 2024

[dotr]

Jan 30 2024

Hair trapped in victim's ring 30 years ago matches cold case murder suspect’s DNA, court hears​

Mother-of-two was stabbed 140 times in 1994, in flat where she worked as a prostitute''
Max Stephens

Hair trapped in victim's ring 30 years ago matches cold case murder suspect’s DNA, court hears

Mother-of-two was stabbed 140 times in 1994, in flat where she worked as a prostitute

www.telegraph.co.uk

''Marina Koppel, 39, was found dead by her husband in her flat in the west end of London, on Aug 8, 1994.

The mother-of-two, who worked as a masseuse and prostitute, had suffered 140 stab wounds.

A cold case review was launched in 2022, during which the hair was matched to Sandip Patel, who was 21 years old at the time of the murder.

Patel, now 51, was then matched to a bloody, bare footprint on the skirting board in the room where Ms Koppel was found.

He had worked at his father’s convenience store near to Mrs Koppel’s flat in York Mansions, in Marylebone.''

 

[Dotta]

"A bloody footprint and hair
found trapped in a ring:

Man accused of brutally murdering sex worker nearly 30 years ago
has been 'identified'
by clues left at the scene, court hears.

Colombian-born 39-year-old Marina Koppel
was found dead by her husband David on August 8, 1994,
after being stabbed more than 140 times
during a 'sustained and savage' attack
in her flat in Chiltern Street in Marylebone, central London."

Footprint and hair 'identified' man accused of killing prostitute

Colombian-born 39-year-old Marina Koppel was found dead by her husband David on August 8, 1994, after being stabbed more than 140 times at a flat in London.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

140 stab wounds! Terrifying to think he lived freely all these years. What are the chances he didn’t recommit during all this time?

 

[Dotta]

140 stab wounds! Terrifying to think he lived freely all these years. What are the chances he didn’t recommit during all this time?

From link above

"He said (husband)
that six to eight weeks ago Marina had told him she had received threatening phone calls:

'Six to eight weeks ago she told me she had received two to three phone calls form someone who said he knew where she lived and he was going to rape her.'

He said she had also received early morning phone calls from someone who hung up as soon as she answered."

Hmmm....
Sounds like a mad stalker

Turned murderer??

JMO

 

[JennieM]

Marina Koppel: Bloody footprint links accused to 1994 killing, court told​

Marina Koppel: Bloody footprint links accused to 1994 killing, court told

Marina Koppel was found dead by her husband after being stabbed more than 140 times in her flat.

www.bbc.co.uk

Man accused of stabbing Mirina Koppel 140 times in 1994​

'Killer' accused of stabbing woman 140 times 'identified by bloody footprint'

A man accused of killing a woman in 1994 by stabbing her 140 times was identified by a bloody footprint and a hair, a court has heard.

www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk

 

[Dotta]

The accused is still young enough to spend maaany years in prison
IF
found guilty.

I guess there will be trial, no?
He claims to be innocent.

JMO

 

[dotr]

Murder victim's ring held vital clue that led cops to suspect 30 years later

Mum-of-two Marina Koppel, 39, was found dead by her husband in her flat in Marylebone, London, in 1994 - she had been stabbed 140 times. A cold case review in 2022 led to the arrest of Sandip Patel

www.mirror.co.uk

''Police had matched the fingerprint on a carrier bag to Patel, but it could have simply been handled by him in the shop and it was not enough evidence to charge him. The hair was found in 2008, stuck to Ms Koppel's ring. "But it was not until 2022 that a DNA sample could be taken from it," said Mr Emlyn Jones.

"The hair still had its root intact - so it wasn't just a piece, or shaft, of hair - it is the presence of a root which makes the difference. It turned out that there was a root on a piece of hair from that ring; and DNA was obtained from it. The DNA recovered from that piece of hair turns out to be Sandip Patel's."

 

[Dotta]

Murder victim's ring held vital clue that led cops to suspect 30 years later

Mum-of-two Marina Koppel, 39, was found dead by her husband in her flat in Marylebone, London, in 1994 - she had been stabbed 140 times. A cold case review in 2022 led to the arrest of Sandip Patel

www.mirror.co.uk

''Police had matched the fingerprint on a carrier bag to Patel, but it could have simply been handled by him in the shop and it was not enough evidence to charge him. The hair was found in 2008, stuck to Ms Koppel's ring. "But it was not until 2022 that a DNA sample could be taken from it," said Mr Emlyn Jones.

"The hair still had its root intact - so it wasn't just a piece, or shaft, of hair - it is the presence of a root which makes the difference. It turned out that there was a root on a piece of hair from that ring; and DNA was obtained from it. The DNA recovered from that piece of hair turns out to be Sandip Patel's."

Wow!!!
They must have found his data from genealogy site, no?

Or he had criminal record/s.

He was only 21 when the victim was murdered.

I will definitely follow this case and a trial if it happens.

RIP Marina
So much time has passed!!!

 

[tes1984]

The accused is still young enough to spend maaany years in prison
IF
found guilty.

I guess there will be trial, no?
He claims to be innocent.

JMO

He lives in St Johns Wood, where a two bedroom flat costs £1,000,000. If he owns a house there, then he's probably a multi millionaire. There's a good chance he has decent defence lawyers.

The fingerprint and DNA evidence can perhaps be explained away, but the footprint evidence may be a different matter. The police have been using a database of footprints since 2001. Usually to compare footwear from crime scenes with the footwear of suspects and known offenders. I'm not sure if an actual barefoot print has been used to secure a conviction in the UK, or if the police have a legal right to demand to take footprints from a suspect without permission.

 

[Dotta]

He lives in St Johns Wood, where a two bedroom flat costs £1,000,000. If he owns a house there, then he's probably a multi millionaire. There's a good chance he has decent defence lawyers.

The fingerprint and DNA evidence can perhaps be explained away, but the footprint evidence may be a different matter. The police have been using a database of footprints since 2001. Usually to compare footwear from crime scenes with the footwear of suspects and known offenders. I'm not sure if an actual barefoot print has been used to secure a conviction in the UK, or if the police have a legal right to demand to take footprints from a suspect without permission.

"Sandip Patel, 50, of

Finchley Road, NW8,

was charged in relation to the murder on Thursday, March 9."

North London man charged with murder of Marylebone prostitute

Sandip Patel has been charged with the murder of the 39-year-old

www-mylondon-news.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[JennieM]

"Sandip Patel, 50, of

Finchley Road, NW8,

was charged in relation to the murder on Thursday, March 9."

North London man charged with murder of Marylebone prostitute

Sandip Patel has been charged with the murder of the 39-year-old

www-mylondon-news.cdn.ampproject.org

Other reports say he is 51.

 

[Dotta]

Other reports say he is 51.

The article was from 2023
I sent it to show the address.

 

[AcbMurders]

Killer who murdered sex worker 30 years ago now faces life in jail

A killer identified through a hair caught in the ring of a murdered sex worker and a bloody footprint almost thirty years after the killing is now facing a life sentence.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[tes1984]

Quite strange that he goes to trial, pleads not guilty, but doesn't offer a defence.

I wonder what his minimum sentence will be.

 

[Dotta]

Well done Jury !!!!

 

[tes1984]

It doesn't look like he committed any additional crimes after this horrific murder.

Unless he became much more careful and evidence conscious of course.

 

[Dotta]

It doesn't look like he committed any additional crimes after this horrific murder.

Unless he became much more careful and evidence conscious of course.

He seemed to be greed motivated.
Vide:
a stolen credit card and pin number extracted by torture.

Justice might be slow but sure!

JMO

 

[tes1984]

You have to wonder if this a crime which spirals out of control, or a planned robbery.

Is it just a coincidence that a man out punting for a sex worker, just happens upon the woman he has served earlier that day in his shop? He must have known Marina.

I don't think this is a loss of control crime. He's not in a mad frenzy because he gets Marina's pin number before he kills her. The hundred plus stab wounds must be overkill to try and make the murder look like the work of a seasoned sex maniac.

Nobody will suspect a 21 year old, a good boy, who works in his daddy's shop and studies at university.

 

[tes1984]

I wonder if Marina had a card advertising massage in the window of Patel's dad's shop.

She had been receiving threatening calls for a few weeks.

 

[Dotta]

And I wonder about his family.
Were they present during the trial?
Were they shocked ???
I think so!