26th November, 2024
A 24-year-old man, Kyiza Sandiford, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 23 years, for the murder of 22-year-old Keelen Wong in Brixton.
Sandiford, of Merton, was convicted at the Old Bailey on 17 October and sentenced on Friday, 22 November.
According to Met Police, detectives traced him using a blood trail left at the crime scene, which linked him to his self-admission to hospital shortly after the incident.
Police were called to Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, at 4:44 p.m. on Tuesday, 3 October 2023, following reports of a stabbing.
The police said emergency responders found Keelen with critical knife injuries, but despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Sandiford was arrested the next day and subsequently charged.
Two teenagers initially charged alongside Sandiford were acquitted of murder. However, a 16-year-old boy was convicted of possessing an offensive weapon and received a nine-month Youth Supervision Order.
Detective Inspector Kevin Martin from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command praised the investigative efforts.
He stated that “Our investigation pieced together the movements of Sandiford, leading to this conviction. While the outcome cannot bring Keelen back, we hope it offers his family some comfort.”
Keelen’s father, Jemaine Wong, expressed gratitude for the sentence but reflected on the broader tragedy of violence: “There are no winners in this scenario, only loss. No sentence can account for my son’s life, but I hope it allows the defendant to appreciate the value of life.”
Keelen’s mother, Nadine Searchwell, paid tribute to her son: “Though they took his flesh, his spirit remains. I am blessed to have had 22 years with him, and his legacy lives on.”
