Cold and calculated' killer jailed for life after murdering Essex couple with fentanyl

I'm going to have to arrest you, and that's on suspicion of murder. As part of a police investigation, you've been identified as being a suspect in relation to the deaths of Caroline and Stephen Baxter. Essex police say Luke DeWitt was one of the most dangerous men they had ever come across. He'd been employed by the Baxters for nine years and became a family friend, but he was slowly poisoning Carol with a cocktail of drugs. She had Hashimoto's disease, a thyroid condition. DeWitt tampered with her medication and impersonated a fake doctor in the US, encouraging her to ignore her real doctor's advice. He created a network of more than 20 personas in a campaign of manipulation. On the 7th of April, 2023, DeWitt laced drinks for Stephen and Carol Baxter with fentanyl. He then monitored the cameras in the Baxters' home, watching them die, then lied to the police when their bodies were discovered two days later. So just tell me exactly what happened from what you know, please, just so we can all go to the best place. Well, we'd just turned up to the house, and we hadn't really heard from anyone for about a day and a half. So we came round, and their daughter got here first, and I think they got round to the back, saw through their conservatory that they were sitting in their own chairs, not moving. And then we smashed the window to get in. But yeah, they're both just cold. DeWitt planted a fake will, which saw the Baxters handing over their company, Casblash, to him. DeWitt was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 37 years. The judge described his murders as cruel and senseless, and said that he was clearly motivated by the desire to control others. A year on since the murders, Carol and Stephen's children defiantly faced their parents' killer in court. They were loving, generous parents, and they helped, they touched lives of many. They are entering a period in their lives where they should have been able to enjoy precious time with their grandchildren. They should have been planning holidays, looking forward to spending Christmases with family and living their lives to the full. Luke DeWitt took all that away in April 2023. DeWitt has never admitted his crimes or shown any remorse. But finally, this dangerous murderer is behind bars. Alice Porter, Sky News.