Chelmsford, England – A man allegedly poisoned a married couple with the painkiller fentanyl before rewriting their will the day after they died, a court heard.
Luke D’Wit, 34, worked for Stephen and Carol Baxter and was “like an adopted son”, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The Baxters, aged 61 and 64, ran a company called Cazsplash. Carol designed a curved shower mat.
On April 10, 2023, the day after the couple were found dead, D’Wit allegedly created a will on his phone making him director of Cazsplash.
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The “very odd will” left D’Wit as the main beneficiary, the court was told.
Prosecutors allege D’Wit poisoned the pair before “rewriting their will and stealing Carol’s jewellery” and other items.
D’Wit, of Essex, denies murder.
The couple’s daughter found them dead in their conservatory on Easter Sunday 2023, the court heard. No suicide note was found.
Toxicology showed the opioid fentanyl contributed to both deaths, suggesting it was ingested orally.
Carol also had the antihistamine promethazine in her system, available in medications like Night Nurse.
In a 999 call, the couple’s weeping daughter screamed for an ambulance with D’Wit heard taking over the call, saying “I’m a friend.”
Prosecutors said D’Wit was the last to see them alive and created false identities to convince relatives his alleged forged will was real.
The murder trial at Chelmsford Crown Court is expected to last six weeks.
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