Man charged with murder of millionaire couple found dead at home

Luke D’Wit has been charged with two counts of murder after Stephen and Carol Baxter were found dead at home on Easter Sunday

Police have been investigating the deaths of a married couple (Dave Thompson/PA) (PA Archive)

A man has been charged with the murder of a millionaire couple who were found dead at their home in Essex on Easter Sunday.

Luke D’Wit, 33, has been charged with two counts of murder after Stephen Baxter, 61, and Carol Baxter, 64, were found dead at a home in Victory Road, on Mersea Island, near Colchester, at about 1.30pm on April 9, Essex Police said.

Officers were called by the ambulance service to concerns for the welfare of two people and found the married couple had died.

At that stage, their deaths were being treated as unexpected and not suspicious and officers were working to establish the circumstances around their deaths, the force said.

This is a significant development in our investigation as we piece together the circumstances around the deaths of Carol and Stephen.

Detective Inspector Lydia George

But as a result of an investigation and toxicology analysis, two men and a woman were arrested on Thursday.

A woman and a man have been released on bail.

D’Wit, of Churchfields, West Mersea, Colchester, was charged with two counts of murder, one count of possession of a Class A drug, and one count of theft.

He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

The couple were directors of Cazsplash, a firm which produces shower mats and bathroom accessories.

Detective Inspector Lydia George, who is leading the investigation, said: “This is a significant development in our investigation as we piece together the circumstances around the deaths of Carol and Stephen.

“I would like to thank everyone who has come forward to speak to us throughout this complex investigation.”