Dr Sabah Usmani and her five children – Hira, 12, Sohaib, 11, Muneeb, nine, Rayyan, six, and Maheen, three – died when a fire engulfed their home in Barn Mead, Harlow, in the early hours of 15 October 2012. Their father, Dr Abdul Shakoor, an endocrinologist, was the only survivor. He tried to raise the alarm to save his family.
Police launched Operation Shakespeare and made arrests, but no one has ever been charged. In July 2025, an anonymous handwritten letter was posted to police in Harlow, weeks after a BBC podcast examined the case. Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe told the BBC the letter was "clearly" written by someone who wanted to progress the inquiry, referencing the "nightmare" of having information but not feeling able to share it. Forensic analysis has not identified the writer.
Dr Shakoor said he was "very disappointed" by the cold case status but acknowledged Essex Police had done a "really great job". He made a direct appeal: "I have a direct appeal to the author of the letter that you have made a very courageous first step. You came forward, and really, really, I feel it's my belief that you will come forward again. This is the really only thing which can help us resolve this case."
Detective Chief Inspector Metcalfe urged the letter writer to come forward. An Essex Police spokesperson said: "We remain determined to establish the truth about what happened and hold the person or people responsible to account. At this stage, unfortunately we do not have any viable lines of inquiry to actively pursue."
Police have told Dr Shakoor the case will be reviewed in a decade unless new information surfaces. He said: "Who knows in 10 years whether I will be here. I don't know whether I'll be alive at that time."