Colchester murder: Luke D’Wit charged with murder over Easter killings of Stephen and Carol Baxter

A man has been charged with the murder of a husband and wife who were found dead on Easter Sunday.

The bodies of Stephen Baxter, 61, and Carol Baxter, 64, were discovered at their home in Victory Road, on Mersea Island, near Colchester, at about 1.30pm on 9 April, Essex Police said.

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

But as a result of an investigation and toxicology analysis, two men and a woman were arrested on Thursday (6 July). A woman and a man have been released on bail.

Luke D’Wit, 33, of Churchfields, West Mersea, Colchester, has been now charged with two counts of murder, one count of possession of a Class A drug, and one count of theft, Essex Police has announced.

He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (8 July).

Stephen and Carol Baxtor 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.”