A British lady has been convicted of homicide after a choose discovered her responsible of decapitating her former pal and disposing of her physique final yr, authorities mentioned Thursday. Jemma Mitchell, 38, is at the moment in custody and as a consequence of be sentenced Friday, the Metropolitan Police Service mentioned in a information launch asserting its conclusion on Thursday.
The conviction alleges that Mitchell, a resident of northwest London, killed Mee Kuen Chong, who was also called Deborah Chong, on the Chong's residence in close by Wembley in June of 2021. Chong, 67, grew to become pleasant with Mitchell after the 2 met via a church group, and Mitchell "additionally acted as a religious healer for Deborah" throughout this time, police mentioned.
Previous to Chong's loss of life, authorities say she was struggling together with her psychological well being. Mitchell was renovating her residence on the time, and requested Chong for cash to assist finance the mission, police mentioned. Though Chong supposedly agreed at first to lend Mitchell roughly £200,000, she in the end withdrew the provide and, in keeping with police, this determination "led to the pair falling out" simply days earlier than the homicide.
"Deborah Chong was a susceptible girl – within the weeks earlier than her homicide, she was in search of assist for her declining psychological well being," mentioned Jim Eastwood, detective chief inspector on the Metropolitan Police and lead investigator on Chong's case. "Nevertheless, Mitchell – so determined to acquire the cash she wanted to finish the renovations on her home – sought to reap the benefits of Deborah's good will, however when Deborah modified her thoughts, she callously murdered her and embarked upon an try and fraudulently acquire her property."
Chong was final seen alive on June 10, 2021, and police mentioned she was "most definitely killed" by Mitchell the next day. The investigation into Chong's loss of life revealed CCTV footage of Mitchell at Chong's residence on the morning of June 11. Video additionally reveals Mitchell strolling in the other way of the residence whereas carrying two giant, wheeled suitcases, which, "by Mitchell's actions ... gave the impression to be heavy," police mentioned.
Authorities consider that Mitchell returned to her own residence with Chong's physique and saved it there for about two weeks, earlier than driving to a seaside city in southern England and disposing of the stays.
"In that point, Mitchell had made a false report through e-mail to a lacking individuals charity and despatched a WhatsApp message to Deborah's lodger saying Deborah had gone to spend time together with her household for a yr to clear her head," police mentioned. "Maybe most chillingly, given the place Deborah was finally discovered, Mitchell additionally wrote she had deliberate to remain 'someplace near the ocean.'"
Chong's stays had been found in Salcombe, a seaside city, on June 27, 2021, with the top faraway from the physique and located a number of yards away, in keeping with police. A subsequent post-mortem confirmed that Chong had suffered accidents in step with assault, together with a cranium fracture, and decided that the top was eliminated by one other individual, not an animal. Mitchell had "a level in osteopathy and expertise in human dissection," police mentioned.
Days after Chong's stays had been discovered, police say Mitchell contacted the U.Ok.'s lacking individuals charity and reported that Chong had beforehand instructed her that "she felt uncared for and was staying with household by the ocean."
When Mitchell was arrested lower than one week later, authorities discovered a solid copy of Chong's will at her residence, which left practically all of her property to Mitchell, in addition to "numerous possessions belonging to Deborah" and identification paperwork that when belonged to the sufferer. Police say that Mitchell "used this individual's identification as a witness to the solid will, in addition to reactivating their cell phone which she used to rent a automotive to move Deborah's physique to Devon."
Mitchell, who was charged with homicide shortly after her arrest on July 9 of final yr, shall be sentenced on Friday.