Latest news with #D'Wit
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Carol Baxter slowly poisoned by handyman who 'played' with her health as fake doctor
When 'caring' handyman Luke D'Wit stepped in to look after his ill friend and employer Carol Baxter, it was assumed this was an act of kindness. Little did the local community know that D'Wit was in fact a deceitful killer A community was left in shock after Carol Baxter and her husband, Stephen, were found dead in their Essex home. Then the horrific cause of their deaths emerged. Successful business owners Carol and Stephen, who were well known in the area for their charitable contributions, had been cruelly poisoned by their friend and carer Luke D'Wit, who'd given the couple a lethal dose of Fentanyl. Regarded as a 'caring' handyman, D'Wit, who'd worked for the couple at their shower mat company, Cazsplash, was anything but. The killer even befriended the pair and was a regular visitor at their home. They didn't know at the time that there was an ulterior motive behind his friendliness. As explored in the two-part ITV documentary Essex Millionaires Murder, Carol suffered from Hashimoto's disease, a thyroid condition, which can result in symptoms such as tiredness, weight gain, and muscle weakness. As Carol's symptoms worsened, D'Wit stepped in under the guise of caring for her. He was, in fact, slowly poisoning her. The 64-year-old's condition deteriorated significantly, and she was left suffering from fatigue and forgetfulness. It was later found that this was all the work of deceitful D'Wit, who had posed as a fake doctor online and given her fake medical advice. D'Wit, 35, encouraged Stephen and Carol's to essentially lace their own 'health' smoothies with an opioid painkiller while using fake identities to control their lives while 'caring' for them. His sinister ulterior motives led investigators to find that the kind and helpful family friend had been playing mind games with the family. The manipulative fraudster had been inventing fake online personas, including those of doctors, while giving dangerous medical diagnoses, and secretly filming the couple in their home before murdering them - all for his own sadistic pleasure. Upon his arrest, officers began to uncover the extreme lengths D'Wit explored to control the Baxters. Police found 80 electronic devices at D'Wit's house, some of which had been used to create more than 20 false personas for his manipulation. After analysis, they found he was offering advice "with no clinical basis" while posing as Dr. Bowden, prosecutors told the trial. It was revealed that D'Wit suggested Carol contact an American Hashimoto expert he had found online, Dr. Andrea Bowden. Soon, Carol and Dr. Andrea were exchanging hundreds of emails. This advice included taking smoothies that were rich in health benefits made by D'Wit, who Dr Bowden praised as a good friend, but instead, they were cocktails of drugs and potions which made her far more unwell than she already was. Carol was starting to experience serious fatigue and forgetfulness, and her doctors had no diagnosis to offer other than anxiety. Andrea further instructed Stephen to send twice-daily videos of Carol so she could observe how she deteriorated throughout the day. She also sent strict rules to follow, which she said would cure Carol. They included rest, exercise, and medicinal remedies "that your good friend Luke can make up." Detective Inspector Lydia George of Essex Police said: "Luke D'Wit visited Carol and Stephen on Easter Friday and was messaging them as this fake doctor while he was in the house with them, helping to make a 'medicinal drink' using a fatal dose of Fentanyl, before leaving at 8 pm. A mobile phone had been set up in the kitchen to record and monitor them. He had watched them die." In March last year, D'Wit, 34, was sentenced to life for the murders, with a minimum of 37 years.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Where is killer Luke D'Wit now after devastating double Essex murder
ITV are set to explore the devastating double murders of Carol and Stephen Baxter who were found dead b their daughter on Easter Sunday two years ago Essex murderer Luke D'Wit's chilling crimes are set to become the focus of a new ITV documentary. The cold blooded killer left Carol and Stephen Baxter dead at their home on Mersea Island on April 9, 2023, with their daughter Ellena finding their bodies. Although their deaths was initially treated by Essex Police as unexplained, it later transpired that the couple had deadly levels of fentanyl in their blood. Shortly after this discovery, a murder investigation was launched to trace the individual behind the atrocious killing. The police managed to trace D'Wit following a "complex investigation" and following a trial, he was convicted of their murder. The police discovered that D'Wit, a family friend, had laced their medication with the opioid painkiller which is used to treat severe pain from surgery or pain from cancer. Fentanyl is only available on prescription from a doctor and can come in the forms of patches to place on the skin, lozenges and tablets which dissolve in the mouth, nasal sprays and injections which are only given out in hospital. Essex police later discovered a number of items which were not present in the home of Carol and Stephen, including fentanyl patches and a fake Will. D'Wit had rewritten the Will and made himself the director and person of significant control of Carol's business, Cazsplash. He worked for the company as an IT consultant and had made more than 20 fake accounts to communicate with Carol – including one being a US doctor, Andrea Bowden, who was experienced in Hashimoto's disease, which Carol had been diagnosed with. He directed Carol's medical treatment which caused a deterioration in her health. He had administered a fatal dose of the painkiller to the couple and set up a secret camera in their home to monitor them. But where is D'Wit now? The cold-blooded killer was last year sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court to a minimum of 37 years behind bars. Following the trial and sentencing, Essex Police stated that it was one of the "most significant" sentences they had managed to secure. Detective Inspector Lydia Georgia said: "It is simply impossible to put a number on the lives of Carol and Stephen. They were loving, generous parents. They helped people and touched the lives of many. They were entering a period in their lives where they should have been able to enjoy precious time with their grandchildren. "They should have been planning holidays, looking forward to spending Christmases with family and living their lives to the full. Luke D'Wit took all that away in April 2023. He tried to cover it up. He went to great lengths to blame others who we know were not involved in any way. He clearly enjoyed the control he exerted over people, especially Carol and Stephen. "Ultimately, the only person in this world who knows why he acted this way is Luke D'Wit - and he has proven time and time again to be a manipulator. What we do know is; the significant sentence handed down is entirely fitting for the pathological liar that he is." However, a bid to extend his sentencing was rejected. Documents published by the Attorney General's office stated that an application was processed to determine whether D'Wit received an lenient service. The case wasn't referred to the Court of Appeal after it was reviewed by the chief legal adviser to the UK. During the trial, D'Wit claimed to have no knowledge about the fake Will for Carol, which was created on the day he murdered the couple. He also claimed that the fake accounts to communicate with Carol had been made following a request from her husband. Officers found an Adidas bag belonging to D'Wit which had packets of fentanyl in, following his arrest. Prosecuting, Tracy Ayling stated that four patches of the drug were missing from the bag and that four patches from the same supplier were found at the Mersea Island home. Essex Police have said that viewers of Essex Millionaire Murders will watch the investigating team "unravel the Baxter murder case and secure justice for Carol, Stephen and their family." The documentary also features interviews with detectives from Essex Police, as well as footage from the body cameras worn by cops, CCTV and more.
Daily Record
28-04-2025
- Daily Record
Computer nut Luke D'Wit was 'nerdy weirdo' who 'played' with family's lives
A husband and wife were killed by a "nerdy weirdo", according to their daughter. Ellie Baxter said Like D'Wit had "played" with her family's lives. Computer game nut D'Wit killed Stephen and Carol Baxter at their home in West Mersea , Essex, and Ellie said she thinks her family was a "real-life version" for him. He held the remote control and "we were his little pieces to play with" she said. The Mirror reports D'Wit used fake identities to control their lives after 'caring' for them, and laced the couple's medication with an opioid painkiller. The computer science graduate lived with his mother in a small semi-detached home and locals knew him as a quiet man who volunteered at a soup kitchen and helped to organise the town carnival. However he had a more sinister motive when it came to 'caring' for the Baxter's, and was jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 37 years at Chelmsford Crown Court in March 2024. The story of unmasking the unassuming killer airs tonight in a two-part documentary ITV documentary, Essex Millionaire Murders. The documentary includes footage from the front door security camera as Ellie makes the harrowing discovery. Her heartbreaking screams as she's arrested for the crime . But in reality, it was D'Wit who was behind the killings. The relationship evolved when D'Wit started keeping Mrs Baxter company on walks and at the gym. He also helped her take medication and performed odd jobs and quickly became Carol's carer, something her daughter Ellie was extremely grateful for. When the couple were found dead in their home, police arrested Ellie , and took her and her brother Harry in for questioning. D'Wit had told police Carol took a lot of medication as she suffered with Hashimotos, a thyroid condition. He helped her with her condition, and sometimes she would forget how many times she had taken it. But as the investigation went on, it was found that the kind and helpful family friend had actually been playing mind games with the family. He invented fake online personas including doctors, giving dangerous medical diagnoses , and secretly filming the couple in their home before murdering them - all for his own sadistic pleasure. Upon his arrest, they began to uncover the extreme lengths D'Wit explored to control the Baxters. Police found 80 electronic devices at D'Wit's house, some of which had been used to create more than 20 false personas used for his manipulation. After analysis, it was found he was offering advice "with no clinical basis" while posing as Dr Bowden, prosecutors told the trial. This advice included taking smoothies that were rich in health benefits made by D'Wit, who Dr Bowden praised as a good friend. But instead, they were cocktails of drugs and potions which made her far more unwell than she already was. Carol was starting to experience serious fatigue and forgetfulness, and her doctors had no real diagnosis other than anxiety. The symptoms she was experiencing weren't typical of Hashimoto's , and they were the effects of her being slowly poisoned by D'Wit, who ensured Mrs Baxter kept him updated on her decline via video messages she sent to Dr Bowden. BBC reported that the police investigation uncovered an email sent by D'Wit to the couple on the morning of their deaths, detailing a "liver cleanse recipe" they should follow. It explained how the fatal dose of fentanyl had been administered into their bodies. D'Wit then watched them die between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in a video stream he set up from a phone hidden in their property. Essex Millionaire Murders aired tonight on ITV at 9pm.
Wales Online
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
ITV's The Essex Millionaire Murders: Full story behind Carol and Stephen Baxter's murder
ITV's The Essex Millionaire Murders: Full story behind Carol and Stephen Baxter's murder The Essex Millionaire Murders documents an investigation that remains one of the most complex cases ever undertaken by Essex Police Stephen Baxter, 61, and his 64-year-old wife Carol, who were found dead sitting in their individual armchairs in their conservatory on Easter Sunday in 2023 (Image: Family handout/PA ) A brand new ITV documentary is set to premiere on ITV this evening, April 28, and follows what is deemed on of Essex Police's most intricate investigations. The Essex Millionaire Murders, which includes two episodes, will be broadcast on Monday and Tuesday evenings (April 28 and 29). It will shed a light on the chilling events that happened on April 9, 2023 and what led to the discovery of a couple -Carol and Stephen Baxter, who were found dead in their home. The two-part documentary will include interviews from four officers from Essex Police, including Detective Inspector Lydia George, who took the helm as the senior investigating officer in the case. Following an extensive inquiry, Luke D'Wit - a familiar face to the Baxter family, was found guilty of their murder. But what exactly happened to the couple? Here's the full story behind Carol and Stephen Baxter's murder. What happened to Stephen and Carol Baxter? Wealthy couple Carol, 64, and 61-year-old Stephen Baxter were from Mersea Island, Essex. According to The Standard, they were known for their successful business and charitable contributions, and were regarded as respected members of their community. Article continues below According to the BBC, D'Wit was seen as the "pillar of the community" on the island, with his family ties going back for generations. It is believed he met the Baxters sometime around 2012 and 2013. D'Wit worked in IT and met the couple through his work as a freelance web designer when he helped create a website for Mrs Baxter's shower mat business, Cazsplash. The relationship between D'Wit and the Baxters evolved to the point where D'Wit would accompany Mrs Baxter to the gym and would help her take her medication. According to a family friend, who spoke to the BBC, "he was always there". His trial heard that he faked a cancer diagnosis to try and gain sympathy from the family during this time. D'Wit also took charge of Carol's medication, feigning assistance in treating her autoimmune condition, only for it to result in exacerbating her health issues. His trial heard that his deceit included fabricating multiple false identities, even impersonating a medical professional. On Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023, Carol and Stephen were tragically discovered dead in their Mersea Island home by their daughter. There were no visible injuries or clear cause of death, and it was only weeks later that a toxicology report revealed they had died from fentanyl poisoning. Luke D'Wit was found guilty of the double murder of Stephen and Carol Baxter (Image: Essex Police ) D'Wit was the last person to see them alive. Two days prior, on April 7, he had administered a lethal dose of fentanyl to the couple he had befriended, even setting up a camera inside their home to observe their demise. The BBC reports that a falsified will inside the Baxters' home named D'Wit as the director of Cazsplash, which ultimately led detectives to the killer. Upon D'Wit's arrest, police found several fentanyl patches, which D'Wit claimed belonged to his deceased father, but later said were his grandfather's. Officers also discovered a bag containing numerous metal tacks and pill casings, which they strongly suspect were previously given to Carol, leading to her hospitalisation after X-rays revealed the tacks in her stomach. In his testimony, D'Wit alleged that both he and Stephen were behind the fictitious personas, using these characters to make Carol believe she was receiving help for her health conditions. However, under cross-examination, his story unravelled as messages between the fictitious characters and Stephen Baxter were read out, indicating that there was no plausible way Stephen could have been part of D'Wit's scheme. D'Wit received a life sentence with a minimum term of 37 years behind bars, marking one of the longest sentences procured in the wake of an Essex Police investigation. In March 2024, post-sentencing, DI George branded D'Wit a "pathological liar", reports Surrey Live. ITV's documentary, The Essex Millionaire Murders, delves into D'Wit's insidious preying on and manipulation of the Baxter household in the time preceding the tragic event. Article continues below Viewers can watch the first episode of The Essex Millionaire Murders on ITV 1 at 9pm on Monday, April 28, with the second episode also aired on ITV 1 at 9pm on Tuesday evening, April 29.
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Luke D'Wit controlled sick mum with strict rules before ordering lethal 'cleanse'
Double murderer Luke D'Wit was thought to be 'caring' for Stephen and Carol Baxter but instead was slowly poisoning the couple and giving them strict rules to 'get them better' Stephen and Carol Baxter were found dead in their home in West Mersea in Essex in 2023 by a "nerdy weird" killer who "played" with the family's lives. The couple's daughter Ellie Baxter described killer Luke D'Wit as "nerdy weird" who played a lot of computer simulation games, and she thinks her family were a "real-life version" for him. He held the remote control and "we were his little pieces to play with" she said. D'Wit, 35, laced Stephen and Carol's medication with an opioid painkiller while using fake identities to control their lives after 'caring' for them. The computer science graduate lived with his mother in a small semi-detached home and locals knew him as a quiet man who volunteered at a soup kitchen and helped to organise the town carnival. READ MORE: Essex Millionaire Murders: Handyman's twisted web of lies who posed as fake doctor before poisoning couple However he had a more sinister motive when it came to 'caring' for the Baxter's, and was jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 37 years at Chelmsford Crown Court in March 2024. The story of unmasking the unassuming killer airs tonight in a two-part documentary ITV documentary, Essex Millionaire Murders. The documentary includes footage from the front door security camera as Ellie makes the harrowing discovery, and her heartbreaking screams as she's arrested for the crime. But in reality, it was D'Wit who was behind the killings. The relationship evolved when D'Wit started keeping Mrs Baxter company on walks and at the gym. He also helped her take medication and performed odd jobs and quickly became Carol's carer, something her daughter Ellie was extremely grateful for. When the couple were found dead in their home, police arrested Ellie, and took her and her brother Harry in for questioning. D'Wit had told police Carol took a lot of medication as she suffered with Hashimotos, a thyroid condition, which he helped her with, and sometimes she would forget how many times she had taken it. But as the investigation went on, it was found that the kind and helpful family friend had actually been playing mind games with the family, inventing fake online personas including doctors, giving dangerous medical diagnoses, and secretly filming the couple in their home before murdering them - all for his own sadistic pleasure. Upon his arrest, they began to uncover the extreme lengths D'Wit explored to control the Baxters. Police found 80 electronic devices at D'Wit's house, some of which had been used to create more than 20 false personas used for his manipulation and after analysis, had found he was offering advice "with no clinical basis" while posing as Dr Bowden, prosecutors told the trial. This advice included taking smoothies that were rich in health benefits made by D'Wit, who Dr Bowden praised as a good friend but instead, they were cocktails of drugs and potions which made her far more unwell than she already was. Carol was starting to experience serious fatigue and forgetfulness, and her doctors had no real diagnosis other than anxiety. The symptoms she was experiencing weren't typical of Hashimoto's, and they were the effects of her being slowly poisoned by D'Wit, who ensured Mrs Baxter kept him updated on her decline via video messages she sent to Dr Bowden. BBC reported that the police investigation uncovered an email sent by D'Wit to the couple on the morning of their deaths, detailing a "liver cleanse recipe" they should follow. It explained how the fatal dose of fentanyl had been administered into their bodies. D'Wit then watched them die between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in a video stream he set up from a phone hidden in their property. Essex Millionaire Murders airs tonight on ITV at 9pm.
