Slain French students had many injuries

LONDON, July 3 (UPI) -- Two French students found dead in a burned-out London home had dozens of separate injuries, the head investigator of the homicide case said Thursday.

Detective Chief Inspector Mick Duthie said inspections of the bodies of Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, both 23, found that one of the men had 196 stab wounds while the other had 47 separate injuries, The Times of London said.

"I have never seen injuries inflicted to bodies like this before," Duthie said of Sunday's killings.

The two French nationals had been taking part in a three-month research project at London's Imperial College when an unidentified suspect killed them and set their apartment ablaze, Duthie said.

The Daily Telegraph said the two men, who were bound by their killer or killers, had been expected to return to France this month.

Investigators are looking into a theft at the apartment six days before the killings that may be linked to their deaths, the Telegraph said. The newspaper added that mistaken identity may have also been a contributing factor to the homicides.