Relatives of a 27-year-old woman stabbed to death at a £4 million townhouse in central London are said to be “devastated” as detectives continue to hunt for her killer.
Kamonnan Thiamphanit, known to her friends as Angela, was a dual Chinese/Hong Kong citizen working in London, the Metropolitan Police said after she was named on Thursday.
Police forced entry to a property in Stanhope Place, near Hyde Park at about 8.30am on Monday. They discovered Thiamphanit’s body, which had a number of stab injuries. A post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was a sharp force trauma. Detectives said they are keeping an open mind and believe that Thiamphanit’s attacker was known to her. No arrests have been made.
It was reported that residents heard loud music and shouting on Saturday night, hours before police were called over concerns about Thiamphanit’s welfare.
Neighbours told of their shock on Tuesday morning as forensic teams were seen conducting their investigations.
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One woman, who declined to give her name, said: “I [heard] very, very high-pitched screams. I recall two — I’m very sensitive to sound. They were very unusual. There was no other sound other than the screams, then silence after. I was in my room and I thought, ‘That’s very strange’. I’ve always been so paranoid living here, but nothing like this has ever happened before. Things have gotten worse in London recently. It’s becoming dangerous.”
Thiamphanit’s friends contacted officers on Sunday expressing concerns for her welfare, police said. Officers forced entry to the property 13 hours after receiving the calls at 7.05pm and 9.34pm on Sunday.
The Met said a mandatory referral would be made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) “in relation to the initial contact from the woman’s friend”. Its directorate of professional standards has also been informed.
The force said that Thiamphanit had been treated as “a medium-risk missing person” before her body was discovered.
The IOPC confirmed that the referral related to previous contact and said it would assess it and decide what further action was required.
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Detective Chief Inspector Adam Clifton, who is leading the investigation, said: “Kamonnan’s family and friends have been devastated by this murder and we must ensure whoever is responsible is held to account.”
Formal identification is yet to take place. There have been no arrests and detectives continue to appeal for information.
