The Grindr Killer: Stephen Port's Murder Spree Shakes East London

During a 16-month period in 2014 and 2015, Stephen Port, known as the "Grindr killer," murdered four men in East London. He met his victims on gay dating apps before bringing them to his apartment and poisoning them with a lethal dose of the drug GHB.

KILLING SPREE

On June 19, 2014, the body of 23-year-old Anthony Walgate was discovered near Port's apartment on Cooke Street. After inviting Walgate, Port drugged and sexually assaulted him before administering a lethal dose of GHB. Port left his body near the entrance of his apartment with a small bottle of GHB in his pocket, trying to make it appear as if he had died from a self-inflicted overdose. Port called an ambulance and claimed to have stumbled upon the corpse when he returned home from work.

On August 28, 2014, the body of 22-year-old Gabriel Kovari was found by a dog walker near the St. Margaret's Church cemetery, about 500 meters from Port's house. Kovari, originally from Slovakia, had been living with Port for a short time.

Less than a month later, on September 20, 2014, the same dog walker stumbled upon the body of 21-year-old Daniel Whitworth from Gravesend, Kent. His body was found in the same cemetery as the previous victim.

Whitworth was a highly skilled and ambitious chef who had met Port through a dating website. They had corresponded for several weeks before finally meeting at Port's apartment on September 18. After killing Whitworth, Port once again placed a bottle of GHB in his pocket and disposed of his phone. However, this time, Port attempted to further conceal the murder by leaving a suicide note. It was claimed that Whitworth had administered a lethal dose of GHB to Kovari during sex and felt so guilty that he took his own life. The note read, "Please do not blame the guy I was with last night. We only had sex, then I left. He knows nothing of what I have done."

Then, on September 14, 2015, the body of 25-year-old Jack Taylor was found. He had connected with Port through the Grindr dating app, and they met at Barking station before going to Port's apartment. After drugging, raping, and killing Taylor, Port disposed of his body with the characteristic GHB bottle. He returned home, blocked Taylor on Grindr, and deleted his own account.

INVESTIGATION

Despite the similarities in the deaths, the Metropolitan Police initially believed that the men had overdosed and did not launch an investigation, despite concerns raised by the victims' families.

An investigation into the deaths was only initiated after Taylor's murder. He had been out with friends on the evening of September 12. The police released CCTV footage and appealed to the public for information to trace his last movements. The footage showed him with Port, leading to a manhunt for Port, who was then an unidentified person. He was recognized by a police officer who had questioned him as a witness regarding Walgate's death.

TRIAL

Port was arrested in October 2015 and charged with four counts of administering a poison with intent to endanger life or cause grievous bodily harm. During his trial, his modus operandi was revealed. It was also uncovered that Port had sexually assaulted numerous other men over a span of three years.

In November 2016, Port was convicted of 22 offenses against 11 different men. These included four counts of murder, four counts of rape, four counts of assault by penetration, and ten counts of administering a substance. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE POLICE

Following the trial, questions were raised about why Port was not stopped earlier. The Independent Police Complaints Commission ordered a review. Evidence emerged that the police had missed several opportunities to apprehend Port. When Whitworth's body was found, the police were advised to conduct DNA tests at the location where the body was discovered but failed to do so. Among the items found were a farewell note written by Port but purportedly attributed to Whitworth, a blue bedsheet, and a bottle containing GHB. Although not originally tested for DNA, it was later determined that each of these pieces of evidence contained Port's DNA. Additionally, an analysis revealed that the handwriting on the farewell note matched Port's.

The inquiry into the four deaths took place in October 2021, with the families of the victims stating that it was an important step in their quest for justice. The investigation uncovered a multitude of failings that had "appalling consequences." The Metropolitan Police's shortcomings had "probably" contributed to the deaths of the four victims.