A master manipulator orchestrates a deadly con | Forensic Files

[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
and for a more detailed list of content warnings please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our
website married couple Steven and Carol Baxter lived on Mery Island along England's East
Coast both were aged in their 60s and Carol suffered from an autoimmune disease that was slowly stripping away
her ability to fully function as a result the couple's loved ones regularly checked in on them via calls messages
and emails when the backers didn't respond to any of their incoming Communications
throughout Saturday April 8 2023 and the morning of Sunday April 9 concerns for their welfare
grew when there was still no word from them by midday the couple's 22-year-old daughter Ellie Baxter went over to pay
them a visit Ellie who was 4 months pregnant arrived at her parents two-story house
in West Mery with her partner Marcus the pair immediately sensed something was wrong the first thing Steven Baxter did
every morning was open his window blinds but the blinds were still closed and the
lights were on inside Ellie knocked on the front door but there was no answer she headed
around to the other side of the house to try the back door peering Through the Windows of the
conservatory Ellie saw her parents sitting bolt up right in their favorite recliner
chairs they were unresponsive their hands had turned blue and liquid was trickling out of Carl's
mouth a spare key wasn't in its usual place so Ellie and Marcus desperately tried to break
in a neighbor overheard the couple violently banging against the conservatory's door while Ellie
frantically yelled they're not moving [Music] [Music] 18 years earlier in 2005 Carol Baxter
was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease the autoimmune disorder affects the thyroid gland at the base of the neck
which is responsible for regulating many functions in the body for individuals with the condition
their immune system cells wrongly attack the thyroids hormone producing cells resulting in a decline in hormone
production the disease progresses slowly over years resulting in varied symptoms
from brittle nails hair loss and swelling to fatigue muscle pain and a decline in cognitive
function in 2021 a close family friend who had observed Carol's ongoing Health struggles began researching ways to help
her they eventually found a renowned endocrinologist named Dr Andrea Bowden who specialized in the diagnosis and
treatment of hormone related diseases and conditions although Dr bodden was based
overseas in the US state of Florida she was able to communicate with Carol online
Carol sent her videos and emails explaining her illness and was given medical advice in
return Dr Bowden soon introduced Carol to another patient of hers named Cheryl Harring believing the two women would
benefit from sharing their experiences over emo Carol and Cheryl relayed their health fears aired their
Grievances and helped ease one another's anxieties a close friendship was quickly
established with the pair bonding over more than just their shared medical condition Cheryl had a sister named
Jenny trencher who was a theater producer in London this was a big deal to Carol as her daughter Ellie was an
aspiring singer she put Ellie in touch with the Jenny who encouraged her to send through
some vocal samples in case she could help her get a contract or professional lessons in a message to Ellie Jenny
wrote I was talking to your lovely mom last week and we had a nice chat on a day she was feeling well today would it
be possible to have recordings sent they don't need to be perfect Ellie appreciated the
opportunity and recorded herself singing a song requested by Jenny I'd do anything from the musical
Oliver in time Carol backer was introduced to two other patients of Dr Andrea Bowden who had Hashimoto's
disease Linda Edwards and Manny Pantry along with Carol and Cheryl the four women formed a small support group
on instant messaging application WhatsApp Dr Bowden had a series of strict rules for how the women should
treat and manage their conditions she favored Herbal Remedies and nutritional supplements over modern medicine
recommending her patients drink natural tonics like lemon in boiling water and smoothies with kale and flax seed
she also advised them to avoid anything that could be overexerting while Cheryl Linda and man
were sticklers for the rules Carol divulged to the group that she was doing housework against Dr Burton's
advice Cheryl responded you are completely ignoring the rules no washing no dishwashing don't even bother making
excuses for it I had you down for a smart lady I really did Carol get a grip please play by the rules and stop trying
to do things you are seriously [Music] ill at one stage Carol also confided in her support group that Dr Andrea Bon's
more holistic approach to treating her thyroid condition clashed with the advice given by her general
practitioner in contrast to Dr bowden's recommendations Carol GP prescribed her pharmaceutical drugs that substituted
her missing thyroid hormones and had her blood tested annually to keep track of things when Carol told her GP about the
herbs vitamins remedies and routines advised by Dr Bowden he was incredulous he had never come across
that type of treatment for Hashimoto's disease and felt it was a load of rubbish he was surprised that an expert
in endocrinology would offer Health advice that had no scientific Merit when Carol told her support group
this they called gp's [ __ ] wits and stood firmly behind the care provided by Dr Andrea Bowden in a message to Carol
man Pantry wrote honestly Carol I have my life back listen to Andrea stop fighting it I do not know what you are
going through only that we are very similar and you were stuck in the same phase I was 8 months ago
I was ill and one day I finally listened use my experience and whatever Andrea says stick to the rules
[Music] Carol Carol valued the input of those in her position and found herself drifting
away from her GP and relying more on Dr Andrea Bowden over time Carol opened up to Dr
bden about her life at home including her family and work her husband and daughter also
emailed the doctor with occasional updates about how Carol was coping as Dr Bowden learned more about
the backers she was able to provide more personalized advice on how to minimize stress in the household by addressing
specific problems they had with each other and the people around them she told Carol that seeing family
members quote released too many chemicals in the adrenal gland and advised keep contact less regular why
not take your family out weekly one at a time you can't avoid seeing your family
but you have a serious illness and you need to be sensible moderate seeing family it's that
simple do not do anything that produces too much cortisol which is one way to the Grave it's that
simple despite her illness Carol maintained a zest for life and persevered as best as she could by
taking regular walks and visiting the gym she continued to drink the health tonics recommended by Dr Bowden even
when they tasted foul still her overall Wellness continued to deteriorate she lost weight struggled
with fatigue and her memory started getting foggy on Tuesday February 8 2022 Carol
was hospitalized after complaining of abdominal pain to everyone's horror x-rays revealed a 17 mm metal nail was
lodged in her colon Carol had no idea how it got there by 2023 Carol's confusion had
worsened and she became racked with the Tremors her symptoms were extreme for Hashimoto's disease and More in line
with a dementia patient or someone who had suffered a stroke Carol was referred to several
Specialists but her unusual symptoms left them puzzled it was hard for Carol's loved
ones to see her suffer one day her daughter Ellie found her ironing a shirt on the kitchen
cooktop while foam Spilled Out from the overloaded dishwasher nearby Carol had no idea what she was
doing Ellie had never seen her mother in such a state and it brought her to tears Steven Baxter did the best he
could to help his wife but he too felt helpless her decline was taking its toll on him
too Carol made plans to meet with the Cheryl Haring from her support group in person for the first time Steven drove
her over 3 hours away to a luxury hotel in the village of warshire for the meeting but Cheryl wasn't
there Steven texted his daughter Ellie with an update saying no sign of that Cheryl not even answering mom's texts
Ellie replied what is it with these women hopefully Cheryl is okay and turns up Steven wrote back not bothered
messing Carol about too much complete radio silence is poor I will update you tomorrow much to Carol's disappointment
Cheryl never turned up explaining later that she had a medical emergency despite continuing to follow
Dr burden's instructions Carol's condition continued to worsen before she could seriously
question whether the holistic approach was right for her Dr Bowden put Carol in contact with another doctor named Alan
Mandel Dr Mandel supported Dr bodden's professional opinion and offered Carol his own guidance he provided the recipe
of a health drink he asserted would cleanse Carol's liver he suggested that Steven AER drink it too for his own
benefit but warned that the drink wouldn't taste nice and would cause drowsiness on Wednesday April 5th 2023
Dr Andrea Bowden emailed Steven Baxter to express her concern about Carol's deteriorating condition she
wrote Carol has to accept I am worried if something may happen not just to her any of you man's husband nearly got
stabbed because she left a knives out if anything happens to anyone it would be on you her nearest it would be why have
you let her Steve sorry Steve but I fear the worst now you need protecting from what can
happen unless you destroy this illness once and for all please let me help read this email out to her Carol cannot
rationalize it was 4 days l later on Sunday April 9 that Ellie Baxter arrived at her parents' home to find them both
unresponsive in their separate reclining chairs a neighbor who overheard the commotion rushed over with a claw hammer
that Ellie's partner Marcus used to smash their way inside Carol and Steven were both cold
to the touch Ellie began stroking her mother's hair pleading with her to wake up an ambulance rushed to the scene but
it was too late both Steven and Carol were dead neither Carol nor Steven had sustained any visible injuries and there
was no obvious cause of death or weapons found nearby their house was Immaculate and
nothing appeared to be missing this raised the obvious question of how two people could have died
peacefully in their chairs at the same time forelli Baxter the first thing that came to her mind was that her parents
could have suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning carbon monoxide is a gas used
in household appliances that is odorless tasteless and colorless therefore when it leaks it
often goes undetected when there is too much carbon monoxide in the air it replaces oxygen
in the body's red blood cells symptoms appear flu like and escalate into movement problems memory
loss and personality change es those severely poisoned can lose Consciousness and die and it's the most
common cause of accidental poisoning in the UK when Ellie had discovered her parents' bodies she threw open a set of
exterior bfold doors to wear out the house on her call to Emergency Services she said we need an ambulance right now
my mom's been poisoned she's not very well they're poisoned they're dead however careful examination of the
backer home failed to uncover any carbon monoxide leaks Carol Baxter wore a pacemaker a
small device that was implanted to her chest to regulate her heartbeat analysis of the pacemaker
revealed that her heart had stopped between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday April 8 the day before her and
Steven's bodies were discovered this narrowed down the time of death but provided no further
explanation as to what had happened to the couple all it did was rule out the possibility that Carol had died of a
coronary issue as the device would have recorded an abnormal heart rhythm an autopsy failed to uncover any
suspicious injuries signs of abuse or defensive wounds the couple's medical histories
didn't contain any clear answers either Steven had recently undergone n replacement surgery and Carol had her
thyroid condition but neither of these explained their sudden deaths the Baxter's case was ruled
unexplained but not suspicious and an inquest was scheduled for a later date in the meantime the police and
coroner continued their search for answers at the time of their deaths 64-year-old Carol and 61-year-old Steven
were self-made millionaires they lived comfortably in a 1 million 5-bedroom home and had been
members of the West Mery yach club for nearly a decade Steven was a senior executive
with a multi-billion pound International property firm but in recent years the couple had also established a business
of their own the idea came to Carol after they did some renovations to their bathroom
and she was unable to find the right bath mat to fit new space and so cazsplash was born a
business selling bespoke microfiber mats to fit around curved and corner showers
and baths while Steven had the business Acumen Carol did the designs and took on
the role as kash's managing director a dramatic but exciting pivot from her previous career in adult
education for all their hard work the backers always put family first Steven and Carol's relationship was
described by those who knew them as perfect Steven was dedicated to his wife who he referred to as his driving
force while Carol told others that her husband worked too hard she was never bitter about it Steven was a Content
gentle and quiet man whose personal motto was there are no shortcuts in life it motivated him to work hard every day
to proved for his family the couple's two adult children Ellie and Harry described their parents
as loving and generous Ellie considered her mother to be her best friend and biggest supporter
and the pair enjoyed mother daughter day's shopping and going to the spa Carol also doted on her young
grandchildren buying them toys and taking them on walks at the time of their deaths the
couple's hard work had almost paid off they'd been discussing downsizing into a bungalow traveling overseas and
retiring to spend more time with their family carol looked forward to taking art classes while Steven was excited to
play more golf news of their deaths came as a complete shock to their small close-knit
community who viewed Carol and Steven as friendly and helpful people who were always there for
others by all accounts the the backers were kind-hearted and selfless people with a lot to live for and exciting
plans for the future together that made the news of their untimely deaths all the more
devastating the mystery of how Carol and Steven Baxter had died persisted until the results of their postmodern blood
tests came in in a Twist no one saw coming both Steven and Carol had died of a fentanyl
overdose fentanyl is a drug that acts on the opioid receptors in the brain creating feelings of
euphoria pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed legally for chronic pain relief as it's 80 to 100 times stronger
than morphine but it is also illicitly manufactured and sold illegally usually as a lowcost additive to increase the
potency of other illicit drugs like heroin in excess fentanyl can reduce and disrupt the user's breathing rate
resulting in what is called respiratory depression drug induced respiratory depression is potentially fatal
requiring specific medicines to reverse the drugs effects and restore breathing abilities without them the user can fall
unconscious and die fentanyl is so powerful that just 2 Mig of the drug can cause overdose or
death neither Steven nor Carol Baxter had a prescription for fentanyl or a history of taking illicit
substances there were no injection marks on either of their bodies Carol's blood
was also found to contain potentially fatal levels of Promethazine a sedating antihistamine used in many
over-the-counter medications it was difficult to imagine a scenario where two individuals who
were not prescribed fentanyl could accidentally overdose on the drug with that in mind investigations shifted
into far more Sinister [Music] territory investigators considered whether the Baxter's deaths were the
outcome of a suicide pact or a decision led by one onto the unsuspecting other the couple hadn't left behind notes or
anything else to indicate why they would want to prematurely end their lives an acquaint of Stevens described him as
being very happy into jovial in the week before his death yet Carol's Health had
taken a sharp decline in recent years and was becoming increasingly harder to manage it was also discovered that by
April 2023 Steven and Carol's business Cas spash was over £60,000 in debt and failing Cas spash also owed a further
£18,000 to the owner of the warehouse from which the business operated the last time the couple was seen alive
was on Friday April 7 a close family friend had dropped in at the backer home and left shortly before 8:00 p.m. at
which time Carol was asleep and Steven Was preparing to make dinner Carol's pacemaker established
that her heart had stopped beating the following day though it couldn't be ascertained when exactly Steven had died
no one had heard from the couple in the leadup to their deaths and to nothing suspicious was noted in or around their
home from any of their neighbors a security camera that filmed the front of the backer's property
confirmed that no one had entered or exited the house on Saturday April 8th the next time the camera recorded a
visitor was on Sunday April 9 when Ellie Baxter arrived and found her parents dead still investigators couldn't rule
out the possibility that someone had snuck in through the back of the property bypassing the camera's line of
sight a cursory examination of the backers house on the day their bodies were discovered failed to uncover
anything significant as the investigation shifted towards Foul Play a more thorough search
took place investigators located a wicker box that contained Carol's prescription
medication lying flat at the bottom were four empty packets of Fentanyl patches these patches are typically
prescribed to patients who have trouble swallowing the fentanyl inside the patch
is in a gel form it accumulates in the skin below the patch before gradually entering the user's circulation
providing pain relief for 72 hours the patches were a curious find given that neither Steven Carol nor
anyone else in their immediate circle had a prescription for them their bodies didn't feature any
markings indicating they'd applied the patches in the leadup to their deaths stranger still the evidence
suggests that the couple had ingested the Fatal fentanyl doses orally it wasn't unusual for Fentanyl
patches to be misused in this way people were known to cut them into pieces and suck on them While others removed the
gel and let it dry into a powder that could be consumed in different ways given that fentanyl doesn't have a
taste or smell it can be concealed in nasal sprays drops and small candies another method colloquially
known as fentanyl infusion involved dissolving the drug in a cup of tea for a longer lasting
effect it couldn't be ascertained what state the fentol was in when the backers ingested it such as powder or
liquid none of the couple's cookware utensils or glassware contained traces of the drug and not even a single cup
was out of place this raised the question of how the drug had been prepared served and
consumed without any evidence being left behind the way the patches were positioned in Carol's medication box was
also strange while the rest of the box was neatly arranged the patches stood out as
loose First Responders had inspected the box when they were called to the house to determine if Carol's medication could
be linked to the deaths they didn't see the Fentanyl patches at the time during a more thorough search of the
Baxter's home an item was found in Carol's home office that hadn't been noticed the first
time it was a printed document that featured uppercase text spread out over multiple dot
points the top of the page read in the event of our deaths followed by the names Steven and Carol
Baxter it was determined to be a ctisle a document that acts as a supplement to a final will in
Testament it allows people to make changes to their will without the time consuming task of having to rewrite the
entire original document although ctools are typically more common for hand written Wheels
they're still considered useful to make small updates the backers cotur went on to
explain what to do with their house and belongings as well as their desire to have their wake take place at the West
Mery yach Club the document also addressed the couple's business explaining cazsplash is to continue
trading in whichever way is planned our daughter Ellie Baxter is to be the 100% shareholder and complete
owner there is no financial gain to this our dear friend Luke dwit is to be the director and person with significant
control all business making decisions are down to him apart from an agreed and respected wage there is no financial
gain to this when Ellie Becomes of the age of 30 the directorship is to be split 50/50
between Ellie and Luke Ellie is to then become the person of significant control
but cannot remove Luke of his directorship business decisions are to be made jointly between the
two Grant of £60,000 from the estate of Steven and Carol baxer is to be given to
the business to develop new ideas and continue the support of the business the document ended with the
date of November 22 2022 almost 4 and A2 months before the baers died along with
the line agreed by Steven and Carol the document was intriguing at no point did it refer to
the Baxter's existing will which had been approved and signed in in September 2021 in that will they'd left all their
money to their children the two they had together and two more Carol had from a previous
relationship while the original will didn't include specific arrangements for the running of CPL it designated Carol's
sister and her husband as Executives of the business furthermore a csol has to follow formalities laid out in the wills
act 1837 yet Steven carols did not in fact the document fulfilled none of the required
criteria neither Steven nor Carol had signed the codol and it didn't feature the necessary signatures of two
individual witnesses as such the document purporting to be a cotol was not legally
binding and therefore not a cotol at all in the words of Steven and Carol's solicitor who had drafted their original
will the the cotol had no logic to it he said the document is odd the wording is
odd it is not signed it is not laid out in a legal format and it doesn't read as
a legal document I haven't seen the document before Carol nor Steven had attempted to
change their will with my firm there's no record of anyone making contact in order to make changes to Wills
aside from Steven and Carol the cotol only named two other people one of whom was Ellie
Baxter Ellie admitted there had been arguments within her family about her parents will in recent times and the
cotol was along the lines of conversations she had with her parents prior to their
deaths text messages seemed to confirm this in one Carol told Ellie that cazsplash would quote be all yours at at
some point yet in the same messages Carol expressed frustration at how little interest Ellie had shown towards the
business over the past year Ellie had only worked 4 days and she often needed to borrow money from
others Carol was concerned about her daughter's ability to manage finances and she sent her a message which read
you don't look after money when you get it Ellie claimed that she was unaware that spash was in debt since her
parents' deaths she had been in contact with a solicitor named Martin Ellison who confirmed that he'd constructed the
codol and supported its authenticity the only other person mentioned in the document was a man
named Luke DeWit Steven and Carol had met Luke in 2014 after he responded to an ad seeking
help setting up a website for their business with the Masters in computer sence science and a reputation for being
honest and reliable Luke dwit was a worthy hire Luke was a lifelong resident of Mery where he lived with his parents
worked for the local Carnival and volunteered at a soup kitchen introverted and Mild mannered he
preferred playing simulation video games and attending comic book conventions over socializing with his peers or
climbing a corporate ladder he showed no outward interest in money or a culating wealth instead using
his passion for it to design and manage the websites of several local businesses
and Charities including the Lions Club who helped the less fortunate in the area although Luke was the type to sit
quietly in the corner during work meetings colleagues found him considerate and always willing to offer
his support he was very Community orientated well-liked and involved in lots of projects on the
island one colle said of Luke if you need help he is there he's the first person to say right what can I do he
lives to be involved where people need help Luke was introduced to the backers through a mutual friend before he was
taken on board as Cas splashers it consultant he was paid around £15 an hour for 2 days a week work in time he
became heavily involved and invested in the business Steven and Carol came to feel
that CPL was in good hands with Luke he was given access to emails and bank accounts and participated in discussions
to take things in a New Direction Carol financed a different training courses for Luke so that he
could further his skill set while at one stage Luke loaned Cas spash 15,000 to Foster its
growth when Luke's father passed away in 2021 after a long battle with cancer he
seemed to become incredibly lonely the backers took him under their wing including him in their family
dinners and other special occasions he paid back their kindness by becoming somewhat of a carer for Carol a
role which alleviated pressures off others and gave Luke purpose it was a privilege he took
seriously he was given the security code to the backers front gate as well as the
location of a key safe so he could check in on Carol at any time he began visiting their home daily
to help with chores and manage Carol's symptoms he administered her medication escorted her on her walks and took her
to the gym it was Luke who had done the research that led Carol to renowned endocrinologist Dr Andrea
Bowden the backers came to rely on Luke immensely he told others that he felt like their adopted
son when lukee confided in the couple that he had been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer they rallied around him he
was given the support and flexibility needed to attend all his chemotherapy appointments without fear of losing his
job when he came back from the hospital complaining of headaches and fatigue the
backers took care of him by April 2023 34-year-old Luke had been in the Baxter's life for 9 years
and was considered to be a part of the family therefore Luke's presence in the cotol wasn't all that unusual he had
earned Steven and Carol's trust and was a major part of cpl's day-to-day workings more so than anyone
else Ellie Baxter had known Luke dwit since she was a teenager and had come to view him like a brother if she asked to
borrow money from him he never said no over the years Luke had loaned Ellie over
£7,000 on the day that Ellie had discovered her parents lifeless bodies Luke was the first person that Ellie's
partner Marcus had called Luke only lived a short distance away and he'd rushed to the backers home
to find Ellie on the phone to Emergency Services frantically screaming their dead they're
dead Ellie had been so distraught that the operator on the other line couldn't understand
her Luke had taken over the call introducing himself as a friend of Steven and carols before calmly
explaining we've just turned up to the house we hadn't heard anything from anyone for about a day and a half we
came around and their daughter got here first got to their conservatory and they
were sitting in their armchairs not moving we smashed the window to get in but they're just cold
Luke said that Steven and Carol appeared to be beyond help he described Ellie as
being devastated and was overheard telling the others it could be gas or something when paramedics arrived Luke
gathered all of Carol's medication in a box for them to assess he also willingly provided a
comprehensive statement to police that was recorded on an officer's bodyw warn camera while Luke described himself as
Carol's closest friend he said Steven mostly kept to himself pondering the possible cause of
their deaths Luke told police about the medication Carol took for her thyroid condition
explaining unfortunately with Carol you don't know what she's taken sometimes she forgets and she can take it six or
seven times she doesn't know Luke said he'd visited the couple on Friday evening and had left at around
7 7:55 p.m. he locked the front door behind him and went straight home to watch television he didn't visit the backers
the next day because they'd wanted time to themselves instead he'd spent the day
going to the gym catching up with a friend and taking his mother out for ice cream that night he went out for dinner
with Ellie and Marcus although the lack of communication from the backers was making him uneasy Luke said he didn't
return to their house until Sunday when Marcus summoned him there the backers outdoor security
camera confirmed Luke's account having recorded him leaving the house at 7:55 p.m. on the
Friday with their time of death the termined to be between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday April 8 this made
him the last person to have seen Steven and Carol alive Luke's whereabouts for the
Saturday were checked and verified prompting investigators to view him as just a witness and not at all
[Music] suspicious but when the police spoke to the Baxter's neighbors they divulged
something odd Luke dwit had apparently asked if they had any CCTV footage that captured
the backer's house he said he wanted to see it because he was expecting a delivery at their address that hadn't
arrived this raised immediate suspicions for the police what if the real reason Luke wanted the footage was because
there was something on it that he didn't want anyone else to see meanwhile the pregnant Ellie Baxter
felt as though her insides were on fire the trauma of finding her parents' bodies had caused her to begin bleeding
heavily she feared she was having a miscarriage but a checkup confirmed her baby was
okay in the during weeks as the police continued their investigations into how the deaths occurred Ellie took Extra
Care to avoid stress to prevent harming her unborn child she set about organizing her
parents funeral with help from Luke DeWit who joined her as she spoke with the celebrant he helped pick out the flowers
and even looked after Ellie's other young son so she could attend anti-natal appointments according to Ellie Luke was
a tower of strength during those difficult times although she was grateful for his
support Ellie knew that the relationship between Luke and her parents had been fraught for all the good he did the
backers and their loved ones found Luke's oververt and controlling presence in their lives to be weird he made
excuses to visit their house daily sometimes arriving completely unannounced despite being told not
to they also questioned his work ethic despite the backers giving Luke the opportunity to grow and develop with
cazsplash he didn't seem interested in doing more than the basics Steven Baxter had been getting
particularly fed up with Luke and how upset he was making his already frail wife Steven sought advice from one of
the only people who knew the personal ins and outs of their family Dynamic and a chronologist Dr Andrea
Bowden in emails to Dr Bowden Steven wrote that Luke overstate his welcome took advantage of their hospitality and
played silly mind games with Carol he was always asking what Carol was doing and where she was going and sometimes
Carol felt Luke was following her while acknowledging that Carol really loved Luke Steven admitted that
the two men weren't as close and had a different relationship Steven told Dr Bowden that
they needed a break Dr Bowden responded I'm aware of Luke's faults but he does seem like a lovely lad I did
tell him to avoid you both for a few days to have some time away from him he has messaged me before to say he stays
with Carol sometimes to give you a rest so he clearly cares for you he is one reason you still have a wife he is
changing as a person and you have a newfound relationship prior to their deaths Steven and Carol had started distancing
themselves from Luke they asked Ellie to collect all their business passwords that were in
Luke's control because they intended to fire him they feared he'd react poorly and
shut down Cas spashes it Network destroying years of records and data even with police suspicion being
geared towards Luke dwit investigators were keeping an open mind the non-legal codol had also drawn
Reasonable Suspicion against Ellie Baxter police theorized that the two could have been plotting together to get
Steven and Carol out of the picture so they could benefit financially from their
deaths given that Ellie had been with her partner Marcus at the time the deaths occurred police also suspected
that he could be an accomplice in June 2023 two months after the deaths of Steven and Carol Baxter
police arrived at Ellie's front door and placed her under arrest for the murder of her
parents her partner Marcus and Luke dwit were also arrested Ellie who was 6 months pregnant
was distraught she firmly denied having any involvement in her parents' deaths insisting she didn't even know they died
as a result of a fentanyl overdose until police told her during her arrest interview after 6 hours of questioning
Ellie and Marcus were released from custody Luke dwit however remained behind unbeknownst to the trio police
had been doing multiple searches and had made some major discoveries at the time of his arrest
Luke dwit was in possession of a ruck sack that contained multiple opened and unopened Fentanyl
patches the patches had been prescribed to his late father during his battle with cancer 2 years
prior a search of Luke's Home turned up even more Fentanyl patches Luke explained he'd been going
through his dad's belongings very very slowly and had been collecting the patches whenever he found
them he claimed he intended to dispose of them at a pharmacy but hadn't gotten around to
yet the patches were compared to the ones found in Carol Baxter's medicine box and they all featured the same batch
number Luke's fingerprints were also found on the packets in Luke's Ru saac police also
found an abundance of feran and overthe counter antihistamine that contained promethazine the drug found in excessive
amounts in Carol Baxter's blood the fugan tablets had been crushed into a pow using a makeshift pesle and
mortar found amongst Luke's belongings Luke asserted that he had ground up the feran so he could mix the
powder with a cream to treat eczma investigators weren't convinced another bag was found at the
foot of Luke's bed which contained multiple empty pill capsules Luke insisted the bag wasn't
his he claimed he'd taken it from the cazsplash office implying it belonged to where either Steven or Carol
Baxter but with all this evidence coming to light police believed the most likely
explanation was that Luke had placed the crushed feran into the capsules creating
a potent and deadly pill that contained four times the therapeutic dose of Promethazine the bag found in Luke's
bedroom also contained dozens of metal nails they were a match to the one that had inexplicably been found in Carol
colon the year before her death it appeared that Luke had secured the nail inside a capsule and somehow
fed it to Carol a move that could have very well killed her police uncovered 80 electronic
devices belonging to Luke dwit including multiple mobile phones SmartWatches iPads laptops computers hard drives and
USB sticks some of the phone phones were unregistered and featured SIM cards that
enabled the user to buy telephone numbers from over 80 different countries these foreign numbers could
then be used to make calls and send texts as though they were coming from that country it took thousands of hours to
meticulously analyze the extensive data across all of Luke's digital devices investigators were astounded at
what they uncovered it turned out that Luke had created at least 20 online personas that
he'd been using to communicate with Steven Carol and Ellie Baxter over several years it was clear from the long
history of interactions on both WhatsApp and in emails that the Baxter family had
no idea that were actually messaging Luke thewit that entire time the first and most abhorent Persona
Luke had created was renowned endocrinologist Dr Andrea Bowden who used to exert complete control over
Carol characters such as Cheryl Harring Linder Edwards and mani Pantry had been created to verify Dr bowden's
credentials and to persuade and pressure Carol to follow her rules Dr bowden's instructions started
out innocuous enough like advising Carol not to overexert herself by doing house
workor but they gradually became more calculating with Luke acting as the Puppet Master Dr Bowden steered Carol
away from her GP family friends and support network when Carol started having doubts
about Dr bodden's treatment at one point Luke invented Dr Alan Mandel to get her
back on side Ellie Baxter had watched as her already fragile mother was severely
harmed by Dr burden's influence explaining mom felt so alone and lost and there was nothing I could do other
than give her my shoulder to cry on and cuddle her Ellie had encouraged Carol to go
back and see her GP but she'd refused in Ellie's words her mother was completely brainwashed by Dr
Bowden it didn't stop there Luke had also created friends and family of these fake women to further bolster his con
such as Jenny trencher the theater producer based in London Luke's online browsing history showed
that he'd once searched for instructions on how to change voice on a live call audio recordings found on his phone
captured him practicing a voice for Jenny seemingly in preparation for having to speak to Carol over the phone
while using the Jenny Persona hi Carol it's jelly it's Jenny hi Carol it's Jenny it's Cheryl's
sister yes oh so nice to find speak to you after all these messages we've been doing Ellie Baxter had formed a close
friendship with the Jenny trencher on the misguided belief that she could further her singing
career at one point the pair exchanged messages daily in which Ellie disclosed the difficulties her family were facing
regarding her parents' will all the while she was completely oblivious to the fact that she was actually passing
on this personal information to Luke DeWit when Carol and Steven died Ellie informed Jenny who replied in a message
oh no my darling sweetheart I'm so sorry Ellie continued to receive communication from the online identities
right up until Luke the wit's arrest at which point they stopped abruptly when she learned the truth
about who was behind the personas Ellie was beside herself Jenny was a trusted person she
said said I thought she was there to help I thought she was a real person for investigators Luke to Wit's
complex and devious Web of Lies was quote phenomenal it went beyond the online personas
too Luke didn't earn a computer science degree from the tertiary institution he claimed he'd also told the backers that
he'd been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer there were no records of this either the extent of Luke's deceit
wasn't just limited to the lies he told a search of his home also turned up items of jewelry belonging to Carol
Baxter that Luke had stolen from [Music] her while Luke used his online personas
to manipulate Carol he'd been equally persistent in real life he constantly pushed Carol to follow the doctor's
rules particularly when it came to drinking the health tonics they recommended over time he convinced
Steven and Carol to drink whatever concoctions he made them until they no longer questioned
it Carol came to refer to Luke as her mixologist who made all of her potions it was this behavior that led
investigators to conclude that Luke had been spiking Carol's Health tonics for 2
years this timing coincided with Carol's well-being taking a sharp and devastating turn for the
worse it wasn't Hashimoto's disease that was causing Carol's rapid mental and physical decline but
promethazine when taken in excess promethazine causes drowsiness agitation nervousness confusion disorientation
depression and delirium a detective who worked on the case said Carol's Behavior became erratic because
we now know she was being poisoned on a regular basis on one occasion Luke inconspicuously fed Carol the capsule
that contained the nail that was later uncovered in her colon what Carol endured was described
as nothing short of torture CCTV footage taken from the backers outdoor security camera
confirmed that Luke had arrived at their house at 102 a.m. on Friday April 7 2023 investigators believed this is when
he dipped several of his late father's Fentanyl patches into a so-called Health tonic before serving it to Steven and
Carol Luke then left but returned to the house at 400 p.m. he likely used this time to check
how the couple's overdose was progressing and to clean up the scene including whatever he had served the
fentanyl in shortly before leaving the premises that Night Luke transferred £6,000 from
the Baxter's personal bank account to the business account he handled which he labeled as
loan he also used Carol's phone to search for holidays to Disneyland later on he researched how to
delete footage from home security cameras police believed he was endeavoring to destroy the footage from
the backer house to cover his tracks police also discovered that Luke had downloaded a home surveillance
application on his phone that enabled him to watch a live video feed from the camera of another
device images were recovered from Luke's phone that showed Steven and Carol slumped in their armchairs in the
conservatory it appeared that he'd set up a camera in the conservatory and used the home surveillance application to
watch the couple die on his phone in real time this meant that as he'd gone about his
errands and social events on Saturday April 8th he was spying on the backers while they were
dying this added a Sinister overtone to the dinner he had treated Ellie and Marcus to that night the trio had
socialized happily with nothing about Luke's Behavior indicating that anything was out of the
ordinary when the bodies of Carol and Steven were discovered the next day Luke played the convincing role of a shocked
and concerned family friend even the police had no reason to doubt him at one stage Luke inconspicuously
slipped the used Fentanyl patches into Carol's medicine box likely in an attempt to bolster the theory that the
backer's deaths were the result of a murder suicide but at 6:54 a.m. the very next
day records showed he drafted the cotur on his phone making himself the beneficiary and inheritor of CAS
spash he then left a copy of the document in Carol's Home Office the cotur was supposedly crafted
by a solicitor named Martin Ellison but unsurprisingly he was found to be yet another one of Luke's fake
identities when Luke dwit was arrested he offered innocent excuses and explanations to the allegations leveled
against him he denied drugging and killing Steven and Carol baxer before receiving advice from a solicitor after
which he responded no comment to all questions Luke was ultimately charged with two counts of murder possession of
a Class A drug and theft in relation to Carol's jury Luke dwit pleaded not guilty before
his six week trial commenced in mid-February 2024 the defense endeavored to prove
that Luke played no part in the Baxter's deaths and eluded to a cover up at one stage they tried to implicate Ellie
Baxter explaining that she too stood to benefit financially from her parents' deaths they referenced a statement
provided by a neighbor of the baers who had reported hearing Carol and Steven having a heated aril with Ellie on the
evening of Saturday April 8 however Carol's pacemaker had registered no activity that night proving she was
already dead at the time this alleged argument occurred Ellie vehemently denied having
any involvement in the murders telling the court all I'm guilty of is loving my parents Luke dwit took the stand in his
own defense where he attempted to frame the deaths as a murder suicide perpetrated by Steven Baxter
he asserted that the health drinks he served to Steven and Carol were harmless and did not contain any drugs or
poisons he also claimed that Dr Andrea Bowden and the other online personas were actually Steven's
idea according to Luke Steven had instructed him to create the identities as a means of supporting Carol and to
give her someone to talk to the prosecution argued that at no point in the extensive Communications St
had with the identities did he show any indication that he knew Luke was behind them they asserted that Luke had
murdered the backers calmly cooly and in a way which had been entirely planned maybe for some
while the obvious motive was financial gain given that Luke had Insider knowledge of kash's finances he knew the
business had effectively ceased trading due to debt and had no means of repaying
the £5,000 he had loaned to Foster its growth the prosecution argued that Luke also received sadistic satisfaction from
the infliction of pain and suffering in the words of the prosecution Luke fooled
everyone he knew by portraying himself as an upstanding and kind member of the community when in reality he was one of
the most dangerous men that police had ever come across it was clear that Luke sought
control and deciding whether a person lives or dies is its ultimate form as far as the case detectives were
concerned it was Luke's arrogance that led to his downfall he didn't cover his tracks well
and was deluded into thinking that fentanyl could be used to kill two people without arousing
suspicion while the defense had called several witnesses to attest to Luke's good nature the prosecution told the
jury you may be tempted to be beguiled like others there are Legions of people that have fallen for his manipulation
and lies after 3 days of deliberation the jury unanimously found Luke to wit guilty of the murders of Steven and
Carol baxar Luke remained straight-faced when the verdict was read in his sentencing remarks the
presiding judge called Luke's actions cruel and senseless quote you ended Carol and Steven Baxter's lives and you
brought grief and misery to the lives of others especially their children you have given them years of pain and
Trauma for the murders of Carol and Steven Baxter I impose on you concurrent sentences of life imprisonment with a
fixed term of 37 years Luke dwit never offered any explanation as to why he turned against Steven and
Carol Baxter after years of friendship he wasn't found to have suffered from any Behavior altering
mental illnesses Ellie Baxter said she sensed a change in Luke after the death of his
father a case detective concluded ultimately the only person in this world who knows why he acted this
way is Luke the wit and he has proven time and time again to be a manipulator what we do know is the
significant sentence handed down is entirely fitting for the pathological liar that he
is given the way that Luke had been hoarding Fentanyl patches police believed he would have gone on to kill
again had he not been caught they have since been looking into the possibility that Luke could have
been involved in the deaths of his father and grandfather according to Steven and Carol's son
Harry his family were simply dolls in Luke dewit's dollhouse speaking of his mother's
heart-wrenching decline Harry said I feel great sadness looking back on the videos of her when she was acting
strangely and seeing Luke in the background giggling and smiling knowing he's the one inflicting this
pain he completely destroyed everything we held close to our hearts and every memory and future dream we could have
shared in the months after her parents' deaths Ellie Baxter gave birth to a healthy baby girl her parents absence
during this time was particularly painful Ellie later told the Daily Mail they never got to meet their baby
granddaughter I'm still young and there are so many times when I just want my mom it's one thing people passing but
for them to be taken like that there are no words really my parents had worked hard all
their lives and saved up and they were really looking forward to retiring and that got taken away by someone that they
cared for and trusted like a son Ellie has since reflected on her time with Luke dwit and recalls
instances during her pregnancy when he offered her energy drinks although Ellie only ever took a
sip the drinks gave her an adverse reaction and she became overly drowsy her health improved whenever she
took a break from seeing Luke and her issues disappeared entirely once he was arrested Ellie has been left with the
chilling realization that Luke might have been poisoning her too [Music] [Music]
for

Case 289: Stephen & Carol Baxter

When Mersea Island couple Stephen and Carol Baxter were found dead in their favourite recliner chairs in April 2023, there were no visible injuries or an obvious cause of death. Their house was immaculate, and nothing appeared to be missing. The case was initially ruled “unexplained, but not suspicious” until a few unusual discoveries were made.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile Casefile Presents https://casefilepresents.com

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-289-stephen-carol-baxter

Brief Summary

The Baxters died from a fentanyl overdose, manipulated by family friend Luke DeWit, who created fake identities to control them.

Key points

The Mysterious Deaths of the Baxters. Steven and Carol Baxter were found unresponsive in their home, raising questions about their deaths.
A Shocking Discovery. Both Steven and Carol had died from a fentanyl overdose, despite no prescriptions for the drug.
The Mysterious Document. A strange document found in the Baxters' home raises questions about their intentions.
Luke's Alarming Request. Luke's inquiry about CCTV footage raises suspicions during the investigation.
Ellie's Distress. After discovering her parents' bodies, Ellie experiences severe emotional and physical trauma.
Arrests Made. Ellie and her partner are arrested for the murder of her parents, but she denies involvement.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I was talking to your lovely mom last week.

Jenny Trencher's message to Ellie about her mother Carol.

5:00WatchJun 22, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Casefile

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.