A follower of the television character Dexter, known for being a serial killer, has been found guilty of murdering two homeless individuals by dismembering their bodies and concealing them in a wooded area.
James Desborough, aged 40, was convicted for the killings of Claudio Aquilino, aged 57, and Daniel Coleman, aged 43, with their bodies being hidden in Cornwall last year. Desborough, a former builder, is currently serving a life sentence for strangling his prison cellmate, Steven Kempster, at HMP Exeter while awaiting trial. He has now escalated to a serial killer, having taken the lives of three men in different incidents within a span of five months.
The unanimous guilty verdicts were delivered by a jury at Winchester Crown Court after three hours and 15 minutes of deliberation on Tuesday. Desborough remained emotionless as the verdicts were announced.
During the trial, it was revealed that Mr. Aquilino and Mr. Coleman had previously resided with Desborough at a homeless shelter, and their last known sightings were in his company. Desborough, a robust individual standing at 5ft 10in and weighing nearly 18st, proceeded to use their funds for substance abuse after their disappearances.
The remains of the victims were found dismembered in Sticker Woods near St. Austell, where Desborough lived in a wooden cabin. Police discovered burned bone fragments belonging to Mr. Aquilino, and parts of Mr. Coleman’s body were located in a shallow grave nearby.
Inside Desborough’s cabin, several handwritten notes were found, one labeled “Bug out list” and another mentioning “Hostiles.” Some notes indicated that Desborough acknowledged his capacity for violence and had intentions to leave the UK before his arrest.
Desborough denied the murders, claiming that the deaths were accidental and that his involvement was coerced by Mr. Coleman. He admitted to using the victims’ money but insisted they were friends and he had a good relationship with them.
Desborough, residing in Lower Sticker, Cornwall, had previously admitted to impeding the lawful burial of the victims’ bodies.
