Letter writer claims to have new evidence on house fire that killed six

WorldPolitics
2 Apr 2026 • 6:23 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Essex Police have received an anonymous letter from someone who claims to have new information about a fire that killed six family members in Harlow nearly 14 years ago.
  • The blaze, which occurred on 15 October 2012, claimed the lives of Dr Abdul Shakoor’s wife Dr Sabah Usmani and their five children; Dr Shakoor was the sole survivor.
  • Police are treating the incident as murder and are appealing for the letter's author to come forward to assist their ongoing investigation.
  • Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe urged the author to share what they know, emphasising that their information could lead to justice for the Shakoor family.
  • In 2014, a coroner found that there was not enough evidence to conclude that the family’s deaths were definitely the result of unlawful killing or an accident.

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