Two men have been charged in connection with a murder after a family participating in a teddy bear hunt discovered a suitcase containing a body in Kent. Joshua Miller, 32, and Jamie Cooper, 27, both of Kingfisher Court in Wandsworth, were arrested on Friday. Miller was charged with murder and preventing a lawful burial, while Cooper was charged with preventing a lawful burial. Both men were remanded in custody and will appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The body was found on Friday in a woodland area at Borstal Recreation Ground in Rochester, Kent. The suitcase was reportedly covered in 'hundreds of flies,' prompting the family to alert authorities. Police were initially called to Kingfisher Court on Thursday evening after receiving a report of a potential murder. No one was found at the property, but officers believed someone had been harmed there, leading to the launch of an investigation.
The victim and the two men charged were known to each other, according to the Metropolitan Police. Formal identification has not yet taken place, but police believe they know the victim’s identity and have notified the next-of-kin, who are being supported by specialist officers. A third man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and has since been released on bail.
Detective Inspector Ben Dalloway, leading the investigation, stated that the victim’s family is being supported and that the investigation is ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.