Words by Georgia Ziebart, Senior Investigations Producer
The Metropolitan Police has apologised to the family of 19-year-old Ed Cornes following an ITV News investigation into the handling of his death.
The force said on Monday that specialist officers were reviewing the original investigation, and are appealing for further information from witnesses.
Ed, who was gay, was just two days into his first term at University College London when he died in 2021. Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder, but were later released without charges.
His family has previously told ITV News that police failures, driven by homophobia, meant the circumstances of his death were never properly investigated.
Ed’s mother, Miriam Blythe, told ITV News on Monday that the apology feels “shallow” and “too little too late”.
“It’s a small victory. I am pleased they are doing a review, and I hope justice will be served in the end.
“But it’s been a horrible, devastating struggle where I always knew I was right, and had multiple police officers telling me I was wrong.
“Your son dies in horrible circumstances and then the police say it’s all his fault. It’s been devastating.”
Ed’s body was found in a basement room of a hotel in King’s Cross, central London, around five minutes from his halls of residence. Other students said he was “very drunk” that evening.
According to the inquest into his death, in the early hours of the morning, he left his halls and met Matthew Butler, 55, a man he had never met before, who took him to the hotel. Inside the room was another man, Ian Casimir, 58.
Ed was found dead several hours later.
His inquest heard he was found with 36 cuts and other injuries, and with high levels of the drug GHB in his bloodstream.
The two older men he was with had delayed calling an ambulance while they attempted to put Ed’s clothes back on and repositioned his body.
Butler and Casimir were arrested on suspicion of murder and then later released without charge. ITV News has previously tried unsuccessfully to reach both men for comment.
Miriam Blythe told ITV News in February that the Metropolitan Police had treated the family “appallingly”
Ed’s mother, Miriam, accused the police investigation of being deeply flawed from the outset.
She told ITV News’ Sejal Karia that key witnesses were never spoken to, and that vital evidence was lost — including CCTV and blood samples.
Miriam lodged multiple complaints with the Metropolitan Police and with its watchdog. An internal review later found 27 failings.
She previously told ITV News that the police’s failure to investigate Ed’s death properly was rooted in homophobia and assumptions they had made about his lifestyle.
She said officers had made overtly homophobic comments to her, including that “with man-on-man sex, anything can happen”.
The Met has since acknowledged that an officer made those comments and has apologised for the upset caused to the family.
But they also previously claimed that Ed’s death had been properly investigated and that all lines of enquiry had been fully explored.
In a statement on Monday, the Metropolitan Police said: “We apologise for the pain caused to Edward’s family through the handling of our investigation. We acknowledge that aspects of the initial investigation were not handled correctly and did not meet the high standards we expect.
“We have since met with Edward’s family to apologise in person and recognise the distress our actions have caused.
“Specialist officers are now reviewing the original investigation into Edward’s death and surrounding circumstances to determine if there are any possible further lines of enquiry.
“We remain in contact with the family and will continue to keep them updated as our work progresses.”
An independent investigation by the IOPC remains ongoing. A spokesperson for the IOPC said:
“We are independently investigating a number of complaints about the Met Police regarding its handling of the tragic death of 19 year old Edward Cornes, who was found dead in a London hotel in October 2021.
“Those complaints include alleged failures in the investigation into Edward’s death, its handling of the subsequent coronial proceedings and inquest, including evidence provided by an officer at the inquest and its communication with Edward’s family throughout.
“His family made several complaints to the Met which voluntarily referred the matters to the IOPC on 6 February and further matters on 17 February.
“We have been liaising with Edward’s family to determine the scope and breadth of our investigation and we will keep them regularly updated as our enquiries progress.”
If you have any information relating to this case, please email the Metropolitan Police at opthrupp@met.police.uk. Anonymous reports can be submitted to Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111.
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