Where is Luke D'Wit now? Subject of ITV's Essex Millionaire Murders
The chilling case is explored in a new documentary.
The Essex Millionaire Murders is a new true crime documentary from ITV, exploring a stranger-than-fiction true story about the deaths of Carol and Stephen Baxter.
The two-parter features interviews with the officers who worked on the case as well as the Baxter family, as they relive being suspected of murder before ultimately discovering the truth.
The case has been described as one of the most complex investigations Essex Police has ever seen and it gets the documentary treatment tonight (28th April) on ITV1 (streaming now on ITVX).
Read on to learn more about the murders of Carol and Stephen Baxter and the man responsible.
Who is Luke D'Wit?
Luke D'Wit hails from Mersea, an island in Essex. He was a computer science graduate who volunteered at the local soup kitchen and appeared to be an upstanding member of the community.
What did Luke D'Wit do? Crimes explained
In April 2023, Carol and Stephen Baxter were found dead at their home, but there was no obvious cause of death. In the following weeks, a toxicology report showed that both Carol and Stephen died as a result of lethal doses of fentanyl, thus launching a murder investigation.
When the police searched the Baxters' home, fentanyl patches and a false will were found. The will - which was not cleared by the Baxters' solicitors - noted that their friend Luke D'Wit was to become the director and person of significant control of Carol's business Cazsplash.
D'Wit was quickly arrested and charged with two counts of murder and later found guilty.
Luke D'Wit had poisoned the couple with fentanyl after posing as a doctor and created a forged will in a bid to benefit financially from their deaths.
Where is Luke D'Wit now?
In March 2024, D'Wit was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 37 years for the murders of Carol and Stephen Baxter.
Speaking after his sentencing, Detective Inspector Lydia George said: "It is simply impossible to put a number on the lives of Carol and Stephen. They were loving, generous parents. They helped people and touched the lives of many. They were entering a period in their lives where they should have been able to enjoy precious time with their grandchildren.
"They should have been planning holidays, looking forward to spending Christmases with family and living their lives to the full. Luke D’Wit took all that away in April 2023. He tried to cover it up. He went to great lengths to blame others who we know were not involved in any way. He clearly enjoyed the control he exerted over people, especially Carol and Stephen.
"Ultimately, the only person in this world who knows why he acted this way is Luke D’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."
The Essex Millionaire Murders airs on Monday 28th April and Tuesday 29th April at 9pm on ITV1. Both episodes are available to watch on ITVX now.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
