Marble Arch stab victim may have known attacker who stabbed her to death after she had been partying at £4m former Ethiopian Embassy, police reveal as they say 27-year-old had been working in London

A woman stabbed to death at a party in Marble Arch this week may have known her attacker, police have revealed as they continue their desperate search for the missing assailant.

Kamonnan Thiamphanit, 27, was found dead by police at a property on Stanhope Place in London's plush Bayswater area on Monday morning, prompting investigation into reports of screams coming from the building over the weekend.

Neighbours living close to the £4million house, formerly serving the Ethiopian Embassy, told MailOnline they had heard loud music and shouting late on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning, hours before police received calls expressing concern for the dual-nationality Chinese/Hong Kong and Thai woman.

Police have now confirmed they are 'supporting her devastated family and friends as best we can as they come to terms with their tragic loss', noting Ms Thiamphanit, who worked in London, has relatives based overseas.

'While our detectives are keeping an open mind regarding any motive, I can confirm they believe it is possible that her attacker was known to her,' said Commander Owain Richards on Thursday.

'I completely understand the shock and concern this incident has caused, especially to women living and working in the area, and indeed to Londoners as a whole,' Commander Richards added, acknowledging 'significant speculation' around the case and asking the public to respect the privacy of her friends and family.

He urged those with information or material that could assist in the investigation to reach out to the police, either via officers at the cordon, by calling 101 or online. 

Residents of the area told MailOnline they believe the house is rented out as an Airbnb-style holiday let and that it does not have any permanent residents, having previously served as the site of the Ethiopian diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom.

One wealthy local said the types of people leasing the property varied - but that most only tended to stay for a short time.

A resident living in Stanhope Place said: 'All kinds of people rent it for a few days. In early March there were three women in the house who partied over the weekend and made lots of noise.

'A Swedish family were in the property over Easter. I've never seen the victim and she wouldn't have been in the house for very long. She would have come after Easter because this family were in the house before that.'

Recalling the events of the weekend he said: 'We heard a lot of loud music coming from the house and it sounded as if they were having quite a party. 

'I remember discussing it with my family and we said that we'd like to speak to the owner but the problem is we don't know who the owner is. There are lots of people coming and going at that property.'

The £4m home is spread across two floors and also has a basement and roof garden.

Alan Granberg, who lives in a mews home located behind the street, said on Saturday night three different riders accidentally knocked on his door with food deliveries meant for the house in Stanhope Place where Angela's body was found.

He said: 'There was lots of noise and music coming from the house and I told the delivery riders that I hadn't ordered any food. 

'My house is also (the same house number) and whoever ordered the food couldn't have been there for long and didn't know the area well because they didn't give the right directions.'

He added: 'There are lots of homes in this area which are available on very short term lets. I've never seen this woman before and believe she'd only been there a few days.'

Lee, another neighbour said: 'It sounded as if there was a party or some kind of gathering going on. These people were not long term residents and were just staying for a few days.'

He added: 'A friend who was staying with me heard loud screaming at around 4am on Sunday. She told me about it, we looked out of the window but didn't see anything.

'This killing has really shaken everyone up and left us feeling frightened. This is a very busy, touristy area and lots of different people come to stay here for a few days. But we've never known something like this to happen.'

Police forced the door of the property on Monday morning after receiving a call shortly after 7pm on Sunday night from a friend of Ms Thiamphanit, who was concerned for her safety. 

The same friend then made another call two and a half hours later - but it wasn't until the next morning that the Met Police attended at the house, where they found Ms Thiamphanit with fatal stab wounds. She was declared dead at the scene.

The force has referred itself to policing watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) with regards to how it handled the first call from the friend, which it says it graded as a 'medium concern missing person'.

The IOPC is continuing to consider the referral and whether it warrants further investigation, while the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards has also been made aware.

Neighbours of the Grade II-listed Georgian property on the edge of Hyde Park previously told how they heard two 'high-pitched screams'  and then 'silence' hours before Ms Thiamphanit's body was found.

It is thought Ms Thiamphanit may have known her attacker as the five-storey house has a video entry system at the front door - and there was no sign of forced entry before officers entered on Monday morning. 

The Met have launched a murder investigation following the tragic incident, vowing to 'ensure whoever is responsible is held to account', although no arrests have yet been made. 

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Clifton, who is leading the investigation, said: 'My team continues to work tirelessly to piece together the events that led to Kamonnan's murder.

'I would like to thank local residents for their patience while we have gone about our work at the scene.

'I would appeal to anyone who has information that could assist us, no matter how insignificant you think that may be, to come forward and speak to us.

'Kamonnan's family and friends have been devastated by this murder and we must ensure whoever is responsible is held to account.'

The IOPC said earlier this week: 'We can confirm that we have received a referral from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) after a woman was found dead by officers at a property in Stanhope Place, W2 on the morning of 8 April 2024.

'The referral relates to previous contact after two calls were made to police on Sunday evening (7 April) by a friend of the woman to report her missing.

'We will assess the referral and decide what further action may be required from us.'

Locals in Stanhope Place previously told how they heard 'two high-pitched screams' on Sunday night. 

A neighbouring resident of the home where the woman was found said she heard 'a series of screams' coming from somewhere in the street, followed by 'silence'.

The neighbour, who has lived on the street for over half a century, said: 'I did hear very, very high-pitched screams on Sunday evening coming from that direction.

'A series of screams. I recall two – I’m very sensitive to sound. They were very unusual. There was no other sound other than the screams, then silence after.

'I was in my room and I thought, "That’s very strange". Then I recall there was a sound from the other side of my house.

'What could I do? If it had continued I would have stuck my head out.

'Apparently they’ve turned the rooms into Airbnbs. My neighbour was leaving her flat yesterday (Monday) morning and saw the police beating the door down.

'We saw two forensics trucks and we knew it was serious... We knew it was murder. I’ve always been so paranoid living here, but nothing like this has ever happened before.

'Things have gotten worse in London recently. It’s becoming dangerous.'

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 101 or via the @MetCC account on X, formerly Twitter, quoting the reference CAD 6784/7 Apr.

Information can also be given anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.