Three people have been jailed for life following the brutal murder of Riches Obi in South East London in 2020. The investigation, led by Detective Chief Inspector Matt Webb from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, revealed a harrowing sequence of events that culminated in the tragic death of Obi.

On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, officers were called to Riches’ home address in Harper Road, Southwark. They found the door partially open and, upon entering, discovered Riches lying on the floor with stab and slash wounds. Despite paramedics’ efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

As officers searched the flat, they heard a woman’s voice responding to their calls. They found her in a bedroom, bound with cable ties, with a scarf tied around her neck, appearing to have been used as a gag.

“We will never fully understand why Riches Obi was attacked and killed in his own home in such a brutal way, but it is thought that the three suspects were involved in some way in a money-making scam with the woman they targeted,” DCI Webb stated. “We don’t know if he attempted to intervene, but we do know he was subjected to a sustained assault that ultimately ended his life.”

On Friday, July 12, at the Old Bailey, the following sentences were handed down:

• Jurick Croes, 38, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 30 years for murder and nine years for false imprisonment, to be served concurrently. He will receive credit for 877 days already served.
• Raichell Felomina, 40, of no fixed address, received seven years and six months for false imprisonment and will be eligible for release after five years and four months. He will be deported upon release.
• Suvenca Martis, 35, of Panmure Road, Lewisham, was sentenced to six years and six months for false imprisonment and five years for perverting the course of justice, totaling 11 years and six months, minus three years and four months served. She will also be deported upon release.

The trio had been convicted following a trial at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, May 28.

During the investigation, officers found a bag of cable ties identical to those used to bind the woman, with a price tag from a nearby hardware store. CCTV footage from the store identified Martis as the purchaser. Further CCTV analysis showed her leaving in a rented vehicle, which she had hired during the days surrounding the murder.

Detectives found incriminating evidence on Martis’s phone, including communications linking her to Felomina and Croes, ferry times showing their arrival from Holland before the murder, and their departure on the same ferry on November 17. Martis’s search history included heavy-duty duct tape the night before the murder and news of the incident afterward.

Forensic analysis linked Felomina and Croes to the crime. DNA matching both men was found on two knives used in the attack, as well as on other items in the flat, including envelopes and the cable ties. Croes’s DNA was also found on a black baseball hat in the bedroom, and his blood was discovered in the rented car Martis used.

Detectives tracked Felomina to Holland, where he was arrested and extradited to the UK in November 2021. Croes fled to Colombia but was arrested in February 2022. After an 18-month extradition process, he was returned to the UK to face trial.

DCI Webb praised the international cooperation that led to the arrests and convictions. “The identification and arrest of Martis was the result of complex enquiries and forensics. Her arrest led us to identify Felomina and Croes, who attempted to avoid capture by fleeing the country. This case clearly demonstrates that international borders do not stop UK Law Enforcement from reaching out to capture criminals.”

He added, “My thoughts today are with Riches’ family. They have waited many years to see justice done, and it is my sincere wish that they may now find a way to move forward and cherish their memories of Riches without the specter of this despicable crime hanging over them.”