Police to probe whether serial killer inspired by TV psychopath Dexter is responsible for deaths of four homeless people living at same shelter

Police are set to investigate whether a serial killer inspired by the TV psychopath Dexter may have been responsible for the deaths of four more people. James Desborough was found guilty of the murders of Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, who he killed and dismembered in his remote woodland cabin after meeting them at a homeless shelter.Devon and Cornwall Police now fear the unexplained deaths of four people living at a homeless shelter in Cornwall at the same time as Desborough, 40, may now be linked to him.The killer had already been convicted in a separate trial this year of murdering his prison cellmate, 65-year-old Steven Kempster, whom he strangled at HMP Exeter last September - because he was snoring too loudly. Desborough had been awaiting trial for the murders of Aquilino and Coleman when he killed his third victim.He was jailed at the time for life with a minimum term of 19 years.Detective Superintendent Rachael Bentley, head of the major crime investigation team at Devon and Cornwall Police, told journalists following the conviction of James Desborough, 40, for the murders of two homeless men that the investigation into the four deaths at the Sandy Lodge Hotel was 'ongoing'. James Desborough, 40, who was found guilty of murdering two homeless men whose bodies were dismembered and hidden in woodland Desborough is believed to have committed the murders in a woodland shack where he was living off grid near St Austell, CornwallShe said: 'As a major crime investigation team, we were informed by the coroner's officer for His Majesty's Coroner that there were four deaths at Sandy Lodge.'As part of the investigation, a detective inspector, separate to the investigation but within major crime, did a review of those deaths, and that included commissioning some more forensic work, some CCTV, and statements.'There are still some inquiries outstanding on those.'They remain as unexpected deaths, but there are still some inquiries outstanding. He's not a suspect at this time. I know why Jack the Ripper was protected for so longHi, I'm Alex Matthews, Editor of The Crime Desk.In 2014, we revealed the bombshell evidence identifying Aaron Kosminski as the fabled Jack the Ripper. Now, we can reveal his astonishing connection to the Freemasons and claims this motivated his killings and protected him from life in prison. Sign up here to get our exclusive piece for free. 'We're in conversation with His Majesty's Coroner, but they were reviewed as part of the investigation.'DS Bentley said the force does not believe 'there is a link at this time', but said it is an 'ongoing investigation'.She added: 'It's still got some final reviews to be done, so I may have more information in the future, but the moment it's not believed to be now.'Ms Bentley said the police had attended each of the deaths and inquiries suggested natural causes and jurisdiction passed to the Cornwall Coroner. It was quite right that those coronial investigations paused when James Desborough was arrested for murder,' she said.'That's why the major crime investigation team commenced a review and conducted some further investigation because it was right to pause.'Now James had committed a murder, so just to review those circumstances and those final investigation inquiries are ongoing currently.'I said before there's no other information that's come into the investigation that suggests that he's linked to any of the deaths.'We don't believe we're looking for any victims, but I do want to stress that the investigations are ongoing.'They are going to be reviewed again now the trial has concluded, but at this time we are not looking at any other investigations and at this time he's not a suspect in any other deaths.'It was reported that the force is also investigating the death of 50-year-old Lee Hockey, a year after his body was discovered in woodland between Truro and Probus in Cornwall in July last year. His death has officially been treated as unexplained, but murder is one theory that detectives continue to investigate. The last confirmed sighting of Mr Hockey was in the Trispen area on June 23rd last year. His passport, bank card and pink iPhone 13 are also still missing. Desborough posted menacing photos of his increasingly chaotic life outdoors on his social media profile Daniel Coleman, 43, was murdered by Desborough after he and his wife became embroiled in a love triangle with him Claudio Aquilino, 57, was killed by Desborough in April 2025 after meeting him at a homeless shelter in CornwallA former construction boss, Desborough had fallen into addiction and began living off grid on land he bought in Paramood Woods, Sticker, where he would occasionally let people camp, including one of his eventual victims, Mr Coleman.Desborough is believed to have killed Mr Aquilino in April last year and Mr Coleman in June, before accessing their bank accounts and creating an elaborate paper trail to make it appear both men were still alive.Jurors were told that Desborough had been in a love triangle with Mr Coleman and his wife Hannah Cresswell, whom he met at Sandy Lodge, in Newquay.In the lead up to Mr Coleman's murder, Desborough sent texts saying he was 'absolutely bloodthirsty'.Just weeks earlier, Mr Aquilino also met Desborough at Sandy Lodge. He rang police in terror on the day before he was last seen, April 17 2025, telling the operator that Desborough was 'really off his head'.By strange coincidence, Mr Coleman also phoned 101 on the last day of his life to report, in cryptic terms, concerns about Desborough - saying his wife had friends who would 'do this and that' to him. Neither of the men gave Desborough's full name to the police call handlers.Both of the victims were last seen leaving pubs in the company of Desborough.When police eventually came to search Desborough's land in July last year, they were initially only chasing up a missing person report about Mr Coleman.There, they stumbled across Mr Aquilino's remains by chance in a stream running next to the cabin.Investigators went on to uncover 1,900 burned bone fragments believed to be from the body of Mr Aquilino, while parts of Mr Coleman's dismembered body, including his torso, legs and feet, were found in a shallow grave nearby.Police also found handwritten notes in Desborough's shack in which he described himself as 'a killer, ready to kill and execute any predators'.There were other handwritten notes including one headed 'Bug out list' and another titled 'Hostiles' which included the entry 'Dan' with three crosses beside it - an apparent reference to Mr Coleman. Detectives are investigating whether Desborough may also have been responsible for the death of Lee Hockey (pictured at Tesco express in Truro), whose body was found in woodland between Truro and Probus in Cornwall in July last yearDesborough was present at various points during the police searches and mentioned casually to a forensic biologist on the scene that he 'particularly enjoyed the dismemberment scenes' in the US TV series Dexter. Police found a note written by Desborough in his woodland shack saying 'I know I'm a killer, ready to kill and execute any predators'Prosecutor Ahmed Hossain told jurors: 'That is a series which involves scenes of dismemberment and disposal of bodies.'There are many, many people who are fans of the television programme Dexter but, on the behalf of the prosecution, when you consider that comment by Mr Desborough together with the fact that two dismembered bodies were found on his land, that the comment takes on a particular significance.'The court also heard that Desborough had made plans to leave the UK weeks before he was arrested.At trial, Desborough claimed a 'series of unfortunate circumstances' had seen him come across the two men already dead on his land by chance and he had simply decided to 'destroy' their remains.He told jurors: 'I don't think I was very well mentally or emotionally at that time. I was suffering from drug abuse, drinking - I think I lost all grip on reality.'Desborough bought 'a large beef roast' after dismembering Mr Coleman, but he insisted it was not 'unpleasant' and 'just everyday life'.When asked why he had written 'I am a killer' in his diary, Desborough claimed: 'I was experimenting with creative writing and journalism.'While on remand at HMP Exeter awaiting trial for the double murder, Desborough strangled his cellmate, Mr Kempster, whom he had started to find irritating due to his snoring and his habit of returning Desborough's cutlery unwashed.Prison staff discovered Mr Kempster lying dead on the floor of the cell on the morning of September 12 last year.Desborough tried to claim his cellmate must have fallen from his bunk in the night and suffered fatal injuries.Giving evidence at Exeter Crown Court earlier this year, Desborough accepted he had told other inmates he would give Mr Kempster a beating, but insisted it was banter.He eventually claimed he had killed Mr Kempster in self-defence after they got into a fight because his cellmate had touched his penis and said of his reasons for changing his story: 'I was delusional and hoping there could be another cause of death.''I didn't mean to kill him,' he added. Desborough was convicted of Mr Kempster's murder by a majority verdict on March 27, but full details of the trial can only be reported for the first time today.