LONDON—London police said Tuesday they “strongly believe” that a body they pulled from the River Thames is that of a man wanted over a chemical attack that injured his former partner and her two young daughters.
The Metropolitan Police said the crew of a passing boat reported seeing a body in the water near the Tower of London on Monday afternoon. Detectives concluded it was that of 35-year-old Abdul Ezedi. His family has been informed.
Police launched a nationwide manhunt for Ezedi after the attack in the Clapham area of south London on Jan. 31 that saw the 31-year-old mother doused with a corrosive alkali. Some of the chemical injured her 8-year-old daughter, while the 3-year-old had her head slammed into the ground.
Images of Ezedi soon after showed he had significant injuries to the right side of his face, but his whereabouts were unknown. On Feb. 9, the Met said they believed Ezedi had probably “gone into the water” after piecing together closed-circuit television footage of his movements after the attack.
“Based on the distinctive clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack and property found on his body, we strongly believe we have recovered the body of Ezedi,” Commander Jon Savell said Tuesday.
He added that formal identification by visual means, or via fingerprints, was not possible, given the time the body was in water.
“We will work with the coroner on other ways to complete formal identification, such as DNA testing and dental records,” Savell said. “That may take some time.”
Savell said the condition of the mother has improved and they hoped to speak to her as soon as she is well enough. He said she remains in the hospital in stable condition.
Friends of the mother, who are fundraising for the family, said in a statement that she is desperate to be reunited with her daughters.
“We know mum’s lost her sight in one eye, and we’re praying that it returns fully in the other,” they said. “Physically and mentally, there is a very, very long road ahead for her and the girls.”
British media reported that Ezedi is an Afghan refugee who was granted asylum despite being convicted of a sex offense in Britain in 2018. His asylum application was initially rejected, but he later was permitted to remain in the U.K. after claiming that he had converted to Christianity, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.
By Pan Pylas