Detectives investigating the murders of two sisters in a north London park have said they believe the killer was a stranger who may have been injured during the attack. Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, were stabbed to death in Fryent Country Park in the early hours of Saturday, 6 June, after celebrating Henry's birthday with friends.
The Metropolitan Police said the sisters stayed behind after the group left just after midnight. Their bodies were discovered on Sunday. A 36-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder has been released with no further action. Officers are searching the park and a local refuse depot for evidence, including items mistakenly cleared from the scene.
DCI Simon Harding described the incident as "unthinkably harrowing" and confirmed the victims were killed by someone unknown to them. He added that the killer may have sustained injuries causing significant bleeding. Statistics show that fewer than 3% of adult female homicides in England and Wales are committed by strangers.
The sisters were the daughters of the Church of England's first female black or minority ethnic archdeacon, Wilhelmina Smallman. Bibaa Henry, a senior social worker and mother of one, was described by Buckinghamshire Council as "well-respected and highly valued." Nicole Smallman, a freelance photographer, was remembered as a "joy to be around" by friends.
Flowers have been laid at the park entrance, including a tribute from Henry's daughter reading: "Mum I miss you so." The acting bishop of Chelmsford expressed devastation, asking for prayers and privacy for the family.
