What family spotted that police missed - three items that cracked murder case wide open

Osaretin Oronsaye (Family handout/PA) PA Media

The family of a 62-year-old man found dead at his flat rejected the initial suicide ruling and immediately searched for his missing belongings, a murder trial heard Wednesday. Osaretin Oronsaye was discovered dead on July 5, 2025, in Dartford, Kent, but a post-mortem examination revealed he had been stabbed in the jugular and strangled with cable ties. Handyman Dorin Ciorba, 29, now stands accused of murder and robbery.

Oronsaye's wife Oghomwen Ogebor told Maidstone Crown Court that the coroner's suicide determination raised immediate suspicions. «After everything the coroner told us that my husband committed suicide, if he committed suicide you're supposed to see the phone, the wallet and the keys,» she testified. The family found all three items missing.

Police initially believed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. But five days later, officers informed Oronsaye's half-brother Martins that they were treating it as an unlawful killing. «I was suspecting that not what they'd told me had happened to him, and it was something different,» Martins Oronsaye told jurors.

Missing items found at suspect's home

Investigators discovered Oronsaye's keys, wallet and phone at Ciorba's flat in Barking, east London. CCTV footage showed Ciorba cycling to Oronsaye's home on July 5, then cycling away in a different outfit half an hour later. Prosecutors say Ciorba repeatedly used Oronsaye's bank cards after the killing.

Police arrested Ciorba on July 17, charging him with murder two weeks after the death.

Financial dispute preceded death

The court heard that Oronsaye, who ran a window cleaning business, was suing Ciorba for just over £2,000 over work done in April and May 2025. Ciorba received an email about the court case the day before the attack.

Ciorba claims Oronsaye propositioned him for sex to repay the debt and that he shoved Oronsaye, causing him to hit his head on a radiator. The defendant denies attacking him further. Ciorba also alleges Oronsaye was involved in selling Class A drugs. Both Oronsaye's wife and half-brother denied he was homosexual or involved in drug dealing.

The trial continues.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).