Family of sisters stabbed to death in a London park tell of ‘devastating impact’ on their lives

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Detectives have released two photos of two sisters dancing with fairy lights before they were brutally stabbed to death by a stranger in a north-west London park.

Images show Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, dancing with fairy lights in the dark and listening to music in a park in Wembley after 1am on June 6.

Police believe the lights created a ‘distinctive pattern’ which may have alerted local residents and other park users to their presence.

Bibaa and Nicole were murdered in the early hours of June 6 after celebrating Bibaa’s birthday with friends in a park in Fryent Country Park the night before.

As their friends left, the half sisters stayed and were later killed by a stranger – now confirmed to be male – in a vicious knife attack. 

Now their parents have released a statement through police saying the tragedy has had a ‘devastating impact on our lives and each day gets worse to think our daughters… are not with us and that they have been brutally killed by someone’. 

Detective also said that they discovered a number of items belonging to Nicole and Bibaa including their mobile phones, which were found in a pond in the park. 

The sisters’ mother, 63-year-old Wilhelmina Smallman, was the first female BAME Archdeacon in the Anglican church. She retired last year.

Bibaa’s father is Herman Henry, once an amateur boxer who won the ABA Championships featherweight title in 1982. Nicole’s father is called Christopher. 

In the statement the family said: ‘The greatest fear of any parent is that they will outlive their children. What makes our situation unique is that two adored sisters were murdered together on the same night.

‘The grief we feel is palpable, our beautiful and talented daughters gone. Although there was a large age gap between them they shared a lot of the same interests. They were both very much interested in the Arts.

‘Bibaa a hardworking professional was an exceptional Senior Social Worker and a passionate advocate for safeguarding vulnerable children and families.

‘Before qualifying, and to earn some extra cash, she would transport disabled children to their activities. At her side in a car seat she would have our granddaughter who was only a couple of months old. 

‘Her passengers loved them both, she knew all their names and Bibaa would have them singing as they drove along.

‘Bibaa loved her family and she was proud of her parents’ gifts and talents. Bibaa’s father, Herman having been a former ABA Featherweight Champion and Business Man setting up his own Building Contracting Company.

‘As her mother, she admired my moving from office agency work to training to be a teacher and then to train later for the Priesthood. 

‘Bibaa was just barely five foot but she had the heart of a lion and a smile that would put Blackpool illuminations to shame.

‘Nicole being the youngest of three sisters was a joy from the moment she entered this world. Nicole saw beauty in everything; she had a very calm and positive attitude towards most things in life. 

‘She was a strong advocate for Humanitarian causes and saving our planet.

‘Her father Christopher and I would laugh together agreeing Nicole was a child of the 60s. She was an amazing Photographer, Actor and Singer.

‘Her speaking voice was silky smooth.

‘Her voice teacher at school had said she should do radio or TV presenting. Friends and family all agree she was beautiful both inside and out.

‘Nicole was incredibly laidback and very approachable. Nowadays we would be referred to as a “Blended Family” but that is not how we see ourselves. It is not something we would be happy to be said of us. 

‘Bibaa and Nicole were sisters whose untimely deaths we will spend the rest of our lives trying to come to terms with.

‘The tributes for our girls keep flooding in; it has been comforting, heart-breaking and at times overwhelming. Faith and prayer is keeping us going. 

‘I’m not sure how we’d get through this without it. “The bond that links your true family is not one blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” Richard Bach.’

The family’s statement added: ‘The pain we feel as a family is so deep no words can express how we are feeling. This has had a devastating impact on our lives and each day gets worse to think our daughters, Bibaa and Nicole, are not with us and that they have been brutally killed by someone.

‘We are appealing to anyone who may have seen, heard, or know something to please contact the police who are investigating what has happened to our daughters, Bibaa and Nicole.’ 

Detectives have confirmed the suspect received a significant injury or injuries during the attack and is thought to have left the park via the Valley Drive entrance. 

Police also believe it is possible that members of the public may have stumbled upon items property, but not realised the significance of them.  

DCI Simon Harding, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘Following our most recent appeal we received over 100 calls from members of the public who provided information which my officers are now in the process of going through.

‘We are very thankful for this response, and want it to continue. Extensive searches are ongoing at the scene and we are discovering more evidence all the time. Any motive for the murders remains unknown, and we are exploring all possibilities.

‘The meticulous work carried out by our specialist search teams has led to the recovery of a number of items belonging to both Nicole and Bibaa.

‘This includes both of their mobile phones, which were found in a pond some distance from where they were discovered.

‘We already knew that Nicole and Bibaa had been alone in the park from about 12.30am on Saturday June 6. I can now confirm that the last contact they are believed to have had with family and friends was at 1.05am.

‘They were in good spirits and taking selfie pictures, listening to music and dancing with fairy lights until at least 01.13am. Those lights created a distinctive pattern, as the two images we are releasing today show.

‘This in itself may have been noticeable to local residents and other users of the park.

‘We have seized a considerable amount of CCTV from around the perimeter of the park and in surrounding roads.

‘However if you have CCTV or dash cam footage and live locally or were out in the area and have not been contacted I urge you to get in touch.’

DCI Harding added: ‘The victims were much loved sisters who were very close despite their age gap. They were surrounded by friends and family and it’s unimaginable what they are going through.

‘For their sake and the sake of the wider community we need to identify and apprehend the suspect as soon as possible. And we need help from the public to do that. So please do contact us with any information you may have which could assist, no matter how small. Someone out there knows something. 

I would ask them to look into their conscience and question their protection of an individual who has robbed a family of two beloved women.’ 

DCI Harding previously said: ‘In this sort of setting in rural London the murder is incredibly unusual and it gives us an enormous crime scene to look through.

‘But we won’t stop until we’ve done everything we need to do here to try to find out, and if the public could help us with that that would be fantastic.’

The suspect is likely to be wearing a bandage from a ‘noticeable’ injury which caused ‘significant’ blood loss from the time of the attack, and anyone who knows someone in the area with an unexplained injury has been asked to inform police.

He added that police were collecting blood samples from the scene so people should not be afraid of flagging potential suspects to them.

When asked if he was worried the killer might strike again, DCI Harding said: ‘We always have a fear of what might happen but we are assuring members of the public we are working around the clock.’   

It has also emerged that a Snapchat user warned about a man ‘killing people’ in the area and going around ‘scaring’ people a week before the two murders. 

The 15-year-old daughter of local resident Amanda Jacob Da Silva, 40, said her friend had posted about a man ‘going around north-west London’ on the app. 

‘She said for people around Brent to beware, tell people where you are if you are going out and to call people if you are out by yourself,’ the girl said.

‘It said especially girls. It said there is a man going around killing people and the person on the Snapchat said tell people where you are.’  

Police were called to Fryent Country Park off Slough Lane at around 1pm on June 7 to a report of two women found unresponsive.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene and they were pronounced dead at the scene. 

They were sisters Nicole and Bibaa ,who lived in Harrow and Brent respectively. Their bodies were discovered next to each other in a treeline.

A post-mortem examination conducted on June 9 gave the cause of death for both women as stab wounds.

Nicole and Bibaa were in a group of people who congregated in the park from around 7.40pm on June 5 to celebrate Bibaa’s birthday.

Gradually people are believed to have left throughout the evening. Officers believe Nicole and Bibaa were murdered after 12am. 

Both Nicole and Bibaa were reported as missing to police late on June 6 when they did not return home, before they were discovered on Sunday.

Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command (Homicide) are investigating, with the assistance of officers from the North West Command Unit.

North West Borough commander Roy Smith, said: ‘My thoughts are with the family who have lost two loved ones in the most tragic of circumstances.

‘I know the experienced investigation team are working around the clock to identify whoever is responsible as swiftly as possible and ensure they are brought to justice. We will leave no stone unturned. Extra resources have been brought in to help from across the Met including additional detectives.’ 

A 36-year-old man arrested in south London on suspicion of murder was released with no further action.