Aman Vyasabad, born and raised in Ahmedabad, India, moved to London at 24, looking for new professional opportunities. He was the son of a university graduate with a father who had spent his life teaching. In 2008, Vyas and his wife rented an apartment in a low-crime suburb. He soon found work with the local dry cleaner and met his current girlfriend, whose age is near his own. Beneath this benign surface lay a dark and violent future.
Between March 24 and May 30, 2009, Vyas committed a series of heinous crimes that would forever alter the lives of multiple victims and their families. He was eventually sentenced to life for the serial rape and murder of four women aged between 32 and 59 years. He did the crimes mostly at night. A significant number of these attacks occurred within close proximity to his residence, such as a cemetery, an alleyway, and one victim’s house where he entered by force. His final victim was 35-year-old widow Michelle Samaraweera. He ultimately brutally stabbed her to death in a children’s playground, just 50 yards from a local Sainsbury’s supermarket.
On the night of the attack, Vyas saw Samaraweera around 1 am when she was out purchasing milk. After carrying out the savage attack, he fled the country and bought himself a one-way ticket to India, where he thought he might escape extradition. With time, justice finally caught up with him. Vyas was sentenced to life in prison, with 37 years minimum before he is eligible for parole.
The house Vyas lived in has over the years attracted the wrong kind of fame thanks to its creepy past. He never broke the law inside its hallowed halls. Yet the toxic legacy left on the property has taken a heavy toll on its later owners. In a recent court decision regarding the home’s resale, a three-judge panel issued a groundbreaking decision. The court held that the Tayor-Roses were not being dishonest when they answered “no” to a disclosure questionnaire about various bits of information buyers may have a legal right to know.
As the current resident of one of the houses, John provided us with his impressions as a first-time visitor to the house.
“The moment I walked in, I picked up a really creepy feel.” – John
Restoration is nearly complete, but as former visitors come inside the home, they’ll often speak to that discomfort. Others claimed they felt an “evil spirit” and wouldn’t go back after the initial walkthrough.
Local gossip flew regarding the house’s former residents. Laura Bamber noted that “local rumours were that her husband was abusive and used to lock her down there,” contributing to the eerie reputation of the property.
Many people feel that their home should not be dictated by the history of where they live. Nick remarked that “the first thing you do when you move into a new house is wipe all memory of the previous owners.” This feeling echoes one expressed by Harriet Evans, another former resident who ended up finding peace in the house.
“In the end I came to love that house. We became a family there, gave it so much love, and I look back on that time with massive fondness. I was sad to leave.” – Harriet Evans
Along with these personalized stories, the community is still left with the broader impact of Vyas’s crimes. In the end, Roy Condrey provided the best food for thought when it comes to transparency in real estate transactions.
“If there’s a fire or if you’ve had building work or repairs, you have to disclose that by law. Why not a death? Especially a violent death?” – Roy Condrey
Condrey’s comments shed light on an issue that is becoming increasingly debated. Whether property buyers should be made aware of property’s past violent histories.
While Vyas claims to be a changed man, he has permanently marred the lives of his victims’ families. The sister of Michelle Samaraweera said her grief at losing her sister was immeasurable.
“Aman Vyas has had over 11 years to come clean and admit to raping and murdering my sister, and even longer to admit to all the other heinous crimes committed against the other innocent victims.” – Samaraweera’s sister
The federal district judge who presided over Vyas’s case condemned his “callousness.”
“You have shown neither compassion nor remorse for your victims throughout your trial, putting those who were alive and could remember events through the ordeal of reliving events.” – The judge
This case is a sobering example of the consequences crime can have on families and communities of victims. Roy Condrey poignantly reflected on this reality.
“No matter what people say, murder impacts a lot of people; I know it does.” – Roy Condrey
Today, new residents are still coming to terms with the house’s troubling past. In the absence of definite guidance, many are still wondering how critical they should consider the past to be. Some have claimed that a home’s history has an impact on the feel, experience and energy of a space.