Letter writer 'could hold key' to murder case

Police investigating a suspected arson attack that killed a woman and her five children have made a direct appeal to an anonymous letter-writer who they believe could hold "key information".

Dr Sabah Usmani and her children – Hira, 12; Sohaib, 11; Muneeb, nine; Rayyan, six; and Maheen, three – died in the fire at their home in Harlow in October 2012.

Det Ch Insp Louise Metcalfe, leading the Essex Police investigation, said the author of the anonymous handwritten letter to officers "seemed reticent of coming forward but couldn't bear the nightmare of knowing what they knew".

She added: "What I'm appealing for now is for that person to have confidence to come and talk to me – and we are waiting."

The family were asleep when the fire broke out in the early hours of 15 October 2012, quickly engulfing their Barn Mead home in flames and smoke.

Dr Abdul Shakoor, the only survivor, tried to raise the alarm and save his wife and children.

A neighbour's silver Ford Focus was set alight nearby at the same time.

Police are treating the deaths of the family as murder and an investigation, known as Operation Shakespeare, has been ongoing for almost 14 years.

Metcalfe told the BBC the letter was posted to Harlow police station last July and was believed to have been written locally.

She said it was unusual to find a letter on her desk and that it had unfortunately been opened and handled by several people before reaching her.

Forensic analysis was unable to identify the author, but the force said the letter contained details it was "very keen to progress".

Metcalfe said: "This letter is clearly written by someone who wants this investigation to progress just as much as we do.

"They reference the 'nightmare' of having information but not feeling able to share it.

"To that person, I would say you can come forward and you will be treated fairly. What you know could be vital in helping us identify those responsible."

Metcalfe said she was convinced the answers police needed lay in the Harlow community.

"For 14 years, people have been holding us to this and that letter proves to us that people know something," she said.

"That's just one thing. We need everyone to be brave and come forward."

Essex Police said more than 70 officers and staff had worked on the case, taking about 500 witness statements and examining nearly 2,000 exhibits.

But despite arrests, Metcalfe said police were still no closer to charging anyone.

"We need a bit of luck," she added.

The BBC understands the letter was sent shortly after the release of a BBC podcast examining the case.

The series, Crime Next Door: Who Killed the Shakoors?, released last May, revisited the investigation and explored unanswered questions surrounding the fire.

The BBC revealed key evidence was unwittingly destroyed at the start of the investigation, according to investigators who worked on the case.

Fire investigation officer, David Hadjicostas, told the BBC podcast that a forensic contractor allowed crucial evidence to be put in a skip.

Complaints were made about the work undertaken by Key Forensic Services, so Essex Police brought in Iain Peck, a specialist fire investigator from Prometheus Forensic services to review it. He claimed samples were packaged incorrectly.

There was also criticism of the investigation into the fire in the Ford Focus.

Mr Peck said the car had not been fully excavated and appropriate samples had not been taken within 24 hours.

The BBC podcast revealed Essex Police was relying heavily on someone coming forward to give information.

Police received the letter weeks after its release.

Metcalfe said the investigation team remained "fully committed" to securing answers for Dr Shakoor.

"He has lived for too long with questions over how he lost his family," she said.

Police are urging anyone with information about the fire to contact them.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.