Man charged with murdering two women including one who vanished in Bromley last month

A man has been charged with the murder of two women, one of whom went missing last month and whose body has not been found.

Carl Cooper, 65, has been charged with the murder of 41-year-old Naomi Hunte and 48-year-old Fiona Holm. He appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Friday July 14.

Naomi Hunte, 41, was stabbed to death at an address in Greenwich, southeast London, on Valentine’s Day last year. A post-mortem examination gave her cause of death as a stab wound.

A second woman, Fiona Holm, 48, was last seen leaving an off licence in Bromley on June 20 this year, and has not been heard from since. She was reported missing on June 29 with her disappearance being initially treated as a missing person’s investigation.

Due to the out-of-character nature of her disappearance and the amount of time since she was last seen alive in Verdant Lane, the Metropolitan Police are now treating it as a murder investigation.

Police have released a CCTV image of Fiona and are appealing to the public for information

Mr Cooper, of Broadfield Road in Hither Green, was arrested on suspicion of Ms Hunte’s murder in February 2022 and subsequently bailed and then released under investigation.

He was not on bail when he was re-arrested on July 11 on suspicion of Holm’s murder and has since been charged with the murders of both women.

Police say Cooper is known to both women.

The families of both women have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has also been informed.

Searches are ongoing to find Fiona’s body at addresses and some open areas in South East London.

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, leading the investigation, said: “We have charged a man with Fiona’s murder and the murder of Naomi Hunte. Prior to this development a missing person investigation was undertaken in the hope of finding Fiona alive. My thoughts are with the family and friends of Fiona, and of course Naomi’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. My officers will continue to support the families of both women.

“Fiona is a well-known and active member of the community in the Lewisham and Blackheath area. I am keen to hear from anyone who saw Fiona since June 20. We are piecing together a timeline of what may have been her last movements, and your information, no matter how small, could help us establish what happened to her. Did you have contact with Fiona before June 20 and do you have information about her that could be relevant to my investigation?”

DCI Blackburn continued: “Due to the fact a man has been charged and legal proceedings are underway I am limited in the information I am able to provide about our investigation. We are continuing to carry out a number of searches to locate Fiona’s body at an address and open land in the Catford/SE6 area. If anyone in that area has seen anything out of the ordinary that you think could be linked to our investigation please get in touch without delay.”

Officers are appealing for anyone with any information relating to Fiona’s disappearance to contact police via 101 or Tweet @MetCC quoting 22MIS023317.

To remain 100% anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.