Three men have been convicted of murder at the Old Bailey after a retrial, following the stabbing of a teenager whose body was found in a west London park in the early hours of the morning.
Tyler Donnelly, 19, was found unresponsive in Hanworth Park in Feltham at around 7:40am on 25 January 2024. He had suffered multiple injuries including a stab wound to the neck and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Keith Preddie, 34, of Feltham, Daniel Matos, 23, and Joshua Cowley, 29, both of Hounslow, were all found guilty of murder on Friday 27 February following a five-week retrial. A first trial at the Old Bailey in January had ended with a hung jury after 22 hours of deliberation.
The case against the three men was built largely on CCTV footage and electronic monitoring data. Detectives reviewing hours of camera footage from the area were able to place Tyler entering the park shortly after 9pm on the evening of 24 January. Preddie, Matos and Cowley were then captured on camera cycling into the park and leaving shortly afterwards. Electronic tag data collected from Matos independently confirmed his presence at the location where Tyler’s body was later found.
All three were arrested on 28 January and during police interview each denied ever having met Tyler. When officers searched Matos’ room, they found a hoodie stained with the victim’s blood. The three were charged with murder two days later and held on remand.
Despite the forensic and digital evidence, all three maintained their denials throughout both trials. The jury in the retrial returned guilty verdicts against all three defendants on 27 February.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie said his team had worked tirelessly over many months to gather evidence and bring the case to court. He said Tyler’s family had been forced to sit through every detail of how he was stabbed and left to die alone, and expressed his thoughts for those who had been deeply affected by the killing. He also highlighted what he described as a clear link between drug supply and serious violence as a factor in the case.
Preddie, Matos and Cowley will all be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 17 March.
