An Indian-origin man was convicted for the murder of a sex worker in London on February 15, Thursday -- 30 years after the crime was committed. According to British media, culprit Sandip Patel stabbed victim Marina Koppel 140 times, leading to her demise in August 1994. She was 39.
Sandip Patel only became a suspect in the case in 2022 -- 28 years after Koppel's murder. His DNA matched to a hair retrieved from the crime scene, a BBC report said. The investigators also confirmed the bloody footprint found at the scene belonged to the 51-year-old. Patel will now remain behind bars at least for 19 years, the report added. He was sentenced as per the guidelines that were in place during the time the murder was committed.
According to reports, Patel's fingerprints were found on a carrier bag found at the woman's residence. However, he wasn't included among the suspects's list at that time. A resident of north London's Finchley Road, Patel used the victim's bank card pin to withdraw money from her account. He was a student when he committed the crime.
Colombian Koppel was a mother of two and worked as a masseuse and a sex worker in London. Her husband found her dead body when he made a trip from his residence in Northampton to London after his countless phone calls remained unanswered by Marina. He found his wife motionless in a pool of blood on the floor of the room near Baker Street Tube station where she entertained her clients, news reports said.
