Pact with the devil: London teen resorts to murder for a very strange reason
London, UK - This man brutally murdered two sisters because he believed he had a very unique contract with the devil.
On June 6, 2020, Danyal Hussein (19) killed sisters Bibaa Henry (†46) and Nicole Smallman (†27) with a knife in Fryent Country Park in London.
After being unable to reach the women, acquaintances reported them missing.
A search began, leading the family to a terrible truth: Henry and Smallman's lifeless bodies lay intertwined in a bush in the park – near the place where they had celebrated Henry's birthday just hours earlier.
The manhunt for the perpetrator ran at full speed for four weeks. Finally, traces of blood at the crime scene led the investigators to Hussein. He had apparently injured his hand significantly during the attack, which investigators believed helped protect more women in the interim.
From then on, the crime became more grotesque by the second. According to Reuters, even lead investigator Detective Chief Inspector Harding was stunned: "I am totally convinced and my team are that he would have gone on to commit more murders. It is difficult for any normal person to comprehend. It's almost sort of movie like."
According to police, a contract was found in Hussein's apartment, signed in his own blood. It outlined his pledge to the devil to "perform a minimum of six sacrifices every six months," to "sacrifice only women," and to "build a temple [for the demon]" in return for which he would win the lottery, as well as be protected by the devil from discovery by the police for his crimes.
By killing the two women, the 19-year-old was apparently seeking to fulfill part of the agreement.
The perpetrator is now behind bars
While it is not yet clear exactly how Hussein became fixated on the occult, police believe he underwent some form of radicalization before committing the murders.
Authorities were unable to unlock various accounts he used on the internet to explore his beliefs, but they did find homemade spell books in his apartment containing incantations meant to force women to fall in love with him.
Officers called him a "very arrogant young man" who was referred to the UK's counter-extremism program in 2017. Unfortunately, he was released a year later.
Now, Hussein will be placed behind bars. On Tuesday, the 19-year-old was found guilty of two counts of murder and possession of a knife with intent.
"Today we remember our girls as the wonderful strong women they were," said Mina Smallman, the grieving mother of the victims.
"We hope that some good will come out of this horrible story."
Cover photo: Metropolitan Police