Case 345: The Barking Murders

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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23-year-old Anthony Walgate lived and breathed fashion. It was his dream to be a famous designer, and in 2010, he took the first steps to make that happen. Anthony left his hometown of Hull in Northeastern England to study fashion in London. With his clever intellect, natural talent and sense of humour, it didn't take him long to settle into life in the big city and develop some solid friendships. Free to be himself, his mother described the move as transforming Anthony from a sicknit to a swan. Although he was committed to achieving his career goals, finances were an ongoing issue for Anthony. He mostly survived off his government-backed student loan. While this helped cover the basics, it didn't stretch very far, and Anthony found himself looking for other ways to make ends meet. By 2014, Anthony, who was openly gay, started turning to occasional escort work. He was picky about his clientele, most of whom were older, well-off men he met online and who treated him with respect. Anthony was also very safety-conscious. When organising a date with a new client, he always asked them for a photograph and an address ahead of time. He'd then send this information to a close friend so that someone always knew where he was going and with whom. He typically organised to meet his clients in a public place before joining them at their home or a hotel, looping his friends in on his movements as he went. He also carried a pair of scissors or a small knife as a form of protection. By June 2014, Anthony was busy with exams and down to his last £40. He logged into his account on Sleepy Boy, an online directory for male escorts and sex workers, and responded to a message from a man named Joe Dean. Joe offered to pay Anthony £800 for a full night of his services. Anthony was a little suspicious. He typically charged between £200 and £400 for two hours, so he was unsure why Joe Dean had offered such a high rate without even trying to negotiate. Joe also said he lived in Barking, a riverside town in East London that is considered the least prosperous area in the entire capital and has some of the highest poverty rates in the UK. It didn't make much sense to Anthony that someone who lived in Barking would offer to pay so much. Thinking it sounded too good to be true, Anthony asked Joe Dean how he could afford such an offer. Joe explained that he was simply house sitting for a friend who was overseas. Satisfied with that explanation, Anthony asked Joe to send through his photo, address and date of birth. The two then arranged to meet at Barking Station on the evening of Tuesday, June 17
Anthony texted all of the details through to a friend, followed quickly by another text that explained, In case I get killed.
Ten weeks later, on the morning of Thursday, August 28, 2014, a woman named Barbara Denham was walking her dog through the historic St. Margaret's Churchyard in Central Barking. The churchyard stands on the site of the ancient Barking Abbey ruins and is one of the oldest Christian sites in England. It features monuments from Medieval times as well as the graves of many prominent residents who lived in the area between the 17th and 19th centuries. It was a route Barbara took often as she enjoyed the peace and quiet of its weaving pathways and surrounding greenery. But as Barbara made her way through the back of the churchyard at around 9 o'clock that morning she noticed something out of the ordinary. Sitting up against the wall was a young man. He was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses but they weren't on properly and his legs were stretched out straight with one leg draped over the other. At first Barbara thought the man must have had a big night and was sleeping it off. She'd walked her dog through the same area the previous evening and he hadn't been there then. But something about the way he was positioned didn't seem right to Barbara. If the man had passed out, surely he would be lying on the ground instead of sitting in such a way. Barbara approached the man and noticed that his clothes looked slightly dishevelled. She reached out to touch him. His skin was cold.