Triple Pensioner Murders: Inquest Reveals Police Lapses

Three pensioners were tragically killed in their homes hours apart on February 10, 2019. Anthony Payne, 80, and identical twins Dick and Roger Carter, 84, were victims of Alexander Lewis-Ranwell, then 35. These fatal assaults occurred at two residences approximately 1.5 miles apart in Exeter, Devon.

Lewis-Ranwell had been arrested the previous day for attacking farmer John Ellis with a saw, and prior to that, for attempted burglary. He was released from police custody in Barnstaple at 2:49 AM on February 9, only to be re-arrested seven hours later for the assault on Mr. Ellis. During his custody, he exhibited aggressive behavior, damaging cells and spitting at officers.

Despite being seen by a force medical examiner, a Mental Health Act assessment was not recommended, though a mental health nurse was scheduled to see him the following morning. However, Lewis-Ranwell was released on February 10 before this appointment. He then traveled to Exeter, where he committed the murders of Mr. Payne and the Carter twins.

He was arrested again the next morning for affray and possessing an offensive weapon after an incident at a hotel. A Mental Health Act assessment conducted later that day concluded he was acutely psychotic. At the time, his involvement in the recent killings was not known. Lewis-Ranwell was later identified as the suspect and arrested in hospital as the police investigation progressed. He was later found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and indefinitely detained in a psychiatric unit.