A murder probe has been launched after a woman was brutally stabbed to death in east London.
Scotland Yard released a CCTV image of a man they want to identify in connection with the harrowing murder of a 40-year-old woman in East Ham, last week.
Shadika Mohsin Patel died in hospital after she was attacked in Artmore Avenue, near the junction with Barking Road, at about 12.45am on Thursday.
A post-mortem exam revealed she bled to death after being knifed multiple times.
Ms Patel’s next of kin have been informed.
Metropolitan Police detectives from the Specialist Crime North division are leading the murder probe and are continuing to establish a motive for the attack.
Woman who stabbed girl, 7, to death in park detained under Mental Health Act
A spokeswoman for the force confirmed the man on the CCTV is being treated as a suspect and that the stabbing appeared to be a random attack.
Police are not currently linking Ms Patel's murder to any other investigation.
Members of the public are warned not to approach the man, but to call 999 immediately if he is seen.
Anyone with information on his identity and whereabouts is also asked to contact police.
Detective Inspector John Marriott, from Specialist Crime Command, said: "It is vitally important that we identify the man in the image as soon as possible.
"I would ask all members of the public to look at this image and see if they recognise him.
"As I have said previously, I still want to speak with anybody who may have known Ms Patel or seen her in the weeks before her murder.
"My colleagues and I are working tirelessly to identify and apprehend the person responsible for this despicable killing, and the support and assistance of the local community is invaluable to us.
"Please do keep sharing anything you know and thank you to everyone who has assisted us so far."
He added that additional police patrols are being carried out in the East Ham area, with CCTV analysis, forensic investigations and door-to-door inquiries also continuing.
A 31-year-old man arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murder has been released on bail, police said.
Police said a 30-year-old man arrested in east London on Friday on suspicion of murder has been released under investigation.
- London
- Crime
Source: Read Full Article