Man, 65, charged with murdering two women as police hunt for body

A 65-year-old man has been charged with murdering two women, one who was stabbed to death on Valentine’s Day and another who went missing last month. Carl Cooper, of Broadfield Road, near Hither Green, south-east London, is accused of murdering Naomi Hunte, 41, and Fiona Holm, 48, who were both known to him. Ms Hunte was found stabbed to death in her Woolwich home shortly before 8.30pm on February 14 last year.

Cooper was originally arrested on February 18 last year on suspicion of her murder and bailed pending further inquiries, before being released under investigation.

More than a year later, Ms Holm was reported missing on June 29 having last been seen at an off licence in Verdant Lane, Bromley, nine days earlier. Due to the out-of-character nature of her disappearance and the amount of time since she was last seen alive, police are treating it as a murder investigation. Cooper, who was not on bail at the time of Ms Holm’s disappearance, was charged with the murder of both women and will appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Friday. Searches are ongoing to find Ms Holm’s body at addresses and open areas in south-east London.

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