Police are investigating a suspected arson attack that killed a woman and her five children in Harlow, Essex, in October 2012, treating the deaths as murder. Dr. Sabah Usmani and her children Hira (12), Sohaib (11), Muneeb (9), Rayyan (6), and Maheen (3) died in the fire at their home in Harlow, Essex, in October 2012.
According to major media reports, the victims died from asphyxiation caused by smoke from the fire, with evidence suggesting the blaze started in the lounge and was caused by 'malicious ignition'. A neighbor's silver Ford Focus was set alight nearby at the same time, according to research. Dr.
Abdul Shakoor, the husband and father, was the sole survivor and tried to raise the alarm and save his family. The fire broke out in the early hours of October 15, 2012, while the family was asleep. Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe is leading the Essex Police investigation, known as Operation Shakespeare, which has been ongoing for almost 14 years.
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, according to research. Key evidence was unwittingly destroyed at the start of the investigation, according to investigators. Police have appealed for an anonymous letter writer to come forward with information about the case.
The anonymous letter was handwritten and posted to Harlow police station in July 2023. According to major media reports, the letter was received by Harlow police station on July 31, 2023, and had been posted first class and routed through 'South East Anglia Mail Centre' on July 21. The letter writer is burdened with the 'nightmare' of having information about the fate of the family but not being able to share it.
The letter contained details police were 'very keen to progress', according to police. The letter is believed to have been written locally. Attempts to identify the author have failed, hampered by the fact the letter had been opened and handled by several people before it reached Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe.
Forensic analysis was unable to identify the author of the letter, according to research. Other attempts have been made to pass information to Essex Police, including a phone call from a phone box in November 2012 and a piece of paper left in a Boots store in Harlow the same month, according to major media reports. Despite arrests, police were still no closer to charging anyone, according to research.
', which was released in May 2023, according to research. The investigation has faced significant challenges, including the destruction of key evidence early on, which has hindered progress. The anonymous letter represents a potential breakthrough, but its author remains unidentified, and police continue to urge them to come forward.
The case has garnered media attention, with the BBC podcast possibly influencing the timing of the letter. Key unknowns persist in this case, including who is responsible for the arson attack that killed Dr. Sabah Usmani and her five children.
Additionally, what specific information does the anonymous letter writer possess about the case, and why was key evidence destroyed at the start of the investigation, and what impact did this have on the case? Further mysteries include what details in the anonymous letter are police 'very keen to progress', and what were the identities and motives of the individuals who made previous attempts to contact police, such as the phone call from a phone box and the note left in Boots.