A 40-year-old man was left to decompose in a bathtub for ten days before his body was discovered in a north London flat, a court has heard.
The Gruesome Discovery
Police were called to Moselle Avenue in Haringey on Friday, 20 September 2024 after concerned neighbours reported a foul smell emanating from a property. Officers found the home boarded up and padlocked, shrouded in complete darkness.
Upon forcing entry, they made a grim discovery: the body of Marvin Dickson, 40, curled up in the bath. A post-mortem examination later confirmed he died from substantial blunt force trauma to the left side of his head.
The Investigation and Chilling Evidence
Haunting CCTV footage captured the victim's last known moments, showing him carrying a takeaway pizza box in the early hours of the morning just over a week before. The investigation, led by the Met's Specialist Crime Unit, revealed that Dante Forrest, 36, had walked alongside Mr Dickson before launching a violent attack.
A blood-stained pizza box found in Forrest's flat indicated that the murder occurred shortly after Mr Dickson was last seen alive. In a callous twist, further CCTV evidence showed Forrest wearing his victim's trainers in the days following the killing.
Justice Served
Forrest was ultimately convicted using DNA evidence from Marvin's blood and hundreds of hours of CCTV footage. At the Old Bailey on Tuesday, Dante Forrest was handed a life sentence and must serve a minimum of 22 years in prison.
In a heartfelt statement, Marvin Dickson's family said he "will forever be loved, missed and remembered." They expressed gratitude for the work done on the case but added that "no verdict can ever bring him back or ease the sadness we carry every day."
Detective Inspector Mark Johnson from the Met praised the family's "immense strength" throughout the investigation, hoping the sentence would bring them a small measure of closure.
