Two bodies discovered in River Thames 'unlinked' to Abdul Ezedi as hunt for Clapham striker continues
TWO bodies discovered in the River Thames are “not linked” to Abdul Ezedi – as the hunt for the Clapham attacker continues.
Police believe Ezedi, 35, jumped from Chelsea Bridge after dousing a mother and her young daughters with a corrosive alkaline substance.
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He was last seen on the bridge at 11:27 p.m on January 31 – four hours after the attack.
Boats from the Marine Policing Unit visited today scouring the Thames for Ezedi's body.
Scotland Yard said two male bodies were found, but neither was Ezedi's.
The first body was found at 10.13am near HMS Belfast, and the other was found downstream near Limehouse in east London at 10.39am.
Police are now working to identify both bodies so they can inform next of kin.
Both of the men's deaths are being treated as unexpected, a spokesperson added.
That's what the Met Police said Ezedi's body may never surface of the fast-flowing Thames.
Commander Jon Savell said: “We looked at all available cameras and angles, as well as CCTV from buses.
“There is no sighting of him coming from the bridge.”
Officers have been in contact with Ezedi's family to “tell them the news”.
Det Supt Rick Sewart said death was the “most likely outcome” if Ezedi had gone into the water.
Change in 'attitude'
The metropolitan police said Clapham alkali attack appeared to change suspect Ezedi's “behaviour” as he walked across Chelsea Bridge.
Savell added: “When he reaches Chelsea Bridge his behavior seems to change.
'I would describe him more as walking with purpose, as if he knew where he was going and walked at a reasonable pace.
“When he drives onto Chelsea Bridge, he crosses the bridge more than once.
“And then when he comes back to the center, it looks like he's walking from the railing back to the sidewalk and looking over the edge of the railing.
“So a definite change in the way he moves.”
Two minutes later he was seen on camera again returning to the north side of Chelsea Bridge.
It comes after police said they believed Ezedi was “helped by others” to evade capture and their investigation was focusing on “more of Ezedi's associates”.
Police have arrested and released a man on bail on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Chemical attack
Ezedi suffered a horrific wound to the right side of his face, apparently suffered during the attack at 7.25pm.
He arranged to meet the 31-year-old woman afterwards she had ended a relationship with him and drove down London his Newcastle at home in white Hyundai car.
When the woman and her children got into his car and threw an alkali bottle in her face, causing horrific facial injuries.
She and her eldest daughter escaped from the vehicle and Ezedi then drove towards her and crashed his car.
Ezedi fled on foot and took the Tube from Clapham South to King's Cross, north London, before heading south again.
He got off at Tower Hill and CCTV footage showed him walking west along Southwark Bridge and on to Blackfriars where he was seen outside a building. Unilever building at 10:04 p.m.
He continued west, his route running along the Thames, passing a few yards from New Scotland Yard before crossing Westminster Bridge.
Horror injuries
Search for specialists from the Met's desk terrorism fugitive teams then located him 59 minutes later from CCTV on the north side of Vauxhall Bridge.
From there he continued west to Chelsea Bridge, where he is now believed to have jumped into the dark tidal waters.
Speaking at a news briefing on Wednesday, Commander Savell said: “It is possible he entered the Thames.
“Unfortunately we are taking people out of the Thames and it will take a while for this to happen.
“It's a very fast-flowing body of water. No one saw anyone enter the Thames and no bodies were recovered.”
He added that police are considering whether Ezedi ended up in the river 'intentionally or accidentally'.
Meanwhile, the mother injured in the chemical attack remains in a “critical but stable” condition in hospital.
She has suffered life-changing injuries and doctors have said she may lose her right eye.
Her young daughters were also injured in the attack and are making progress.