Noel Brown: Sex offender found strangled and partially dismembered in London flat alongside murdered daughter

Police believe daughter may have disturbed her father's killers after going to check on his safety

The bodies of Noel Brown, 69, and his daughter Marie Brown, 41, were found at a flat in Deptford on 4 December (Metropolitan Police)

A convicted sex offender has been found strangled and partly dismembered alongside his murdered daughter in his home.

Noel Brown, 69, and Marie Brown, 41, were found dead in the early hours of Monday morning after police responded to concerns over welfare.

Investigators believe Mr Brown was attacked first, with a “strong possibility” his daughter was killed after disturbing his killers as they attempted to dismember the body.

Detective Superintendent Paul Monk said there was no known motive for the gory killings, and Mr Brown’s conviction in 1999 for a sex offence, for which he served four years in prison, was not “screaming out” as a possibility.

He said that nothing in Mr Brown’s life in the 18 years since the conviction suggested it was the reason for the murder, adding: “The offence was a sex offence; he was convicted and served time and was released in 2004 but I’m not prepared to give any more details.“

He had not committed any other recorded offences after leaving prison, and police contact had been limited to convictions linked to the sex offenders’ register.

Officers found no signs of a break-in, indications of a struggle or evidence that Mr Brown and Ms Brown had been restrained.

Mr Monk said there was not yet any evidence to suggest the motive was burglary or robbery, or linked to gambling winnings, and that the killer or killers may have known Mr Brown.

New Butt Lane, Deptford, where the bodies were found (Google Streetview)

“At this early stage we are keeping an open mind regarding the motive,” he added. ”One of our key lines of inquiry is to establish if the suspect or suspects were known to Noel and if Marie disturbed them.

“One of the key strands of our investigation is understanding all we can about Noel’s life. He was well known and liked locally.”

A neighbour saw him alive and well at his home in Deptford at around 8pm on 30 November, and his daughter visited the flat to check up on Mr Brown at around midday two days later.

She did not return home in Southwark and a relative contacted police shortly after midnight on Monday, with officers forcing their way into Mr Brown’s flat at 2.45am and finding their bodies.

Mr Monk said Mr Brown, a regular gambler who placed ”very small bets“ every day at a shop in Deptford High Street, did not visit the bookmakers on Friday, making it possible he was killed before his daughter’s arrival.

“I don’t know whether he was dismembered at that point or whether he was dismembered after Marie was killed,” he added. ”There’s some attempt to cover up the crime; it’s a strong possibility that Marie had disturbed them.

“Attempts have been made to dismember his body. It’s possible Marie has made attempts to disturb that and it’s possible she’s been killed. There was no attempt to dismember Marie at all.”

Police are appealing for information on Mr Brown’s life and associates, while urging two men seen on CCTV visiting Mr Brown’s flat in the days before he was found dead to come forward.

“I am keen to hear from anyone who saw Noel in the days leading up to his death, or saw anyone or anything unusual in or around New Butt Lane during that time,” Mr Monk said.

“This is a deeply distressing time for Noel and Marie’s family as they come to terms with their loss.”

Post-mortem examinations confirmed that both victims died as a result of strangulation and specialist officers are supporting their family.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 020 8721 4205, via 101, by tweeting @MetCC, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Additional reporting by PA