Two British men are serving life sentences for the brutal murder of one of the man’s friends, planned over Snapchat. According to the U.K. Metropolitan Police, the two men decided to stand and kill their friend over a perceived betrayal involving a firearm.
According to U.K. Police, the incident happened in May 2023. Williams and Kai Nelson-Palmer lured the victim, Lucas Sutton, a 22-year-old father from Croydon, UK, to an address and then killed him. Reports say Sutton was friends with one of the two men.
The two murderers — Keahn Williams, now 21, and Kai Nelson-Palmer, who turned 18 in 2025 — were convicted in April 2024. The convictions and sentences have now been reported a year later, as sometimes happens in the U.K., to help ensure a fair trial, which is unbiased by media reporting.
“A pre-meditated, callous act”
Two young men who plotted and carried out a deadly attack on a former friend have been found guilty of the murder of Lucas Sutton (Pic1) and sentenced to life with minimum terms of 23 and 16 years in prison @CrimeLdn @ScarcityStudios @999London @uknip247 @obbsie @dwaynamics… https://t.co/Cog4AdyUoC pic.twitter.com/RkXPNa5DZL
— Crime Scene Images London (@csi_london) April 5, 2025
According to British authorities, Williams and Nelson-Palmer had premeditated the attack via Snapchat messages. Their motive for doing so, reports say, was because Sutton had tried to dispose of a firearm one of them owned, but which Sutton had been holding on to.
Referring to the case, Met’s Specialist Crime Command Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie said, “It is clear in the weeks leading up to the murder that Lucas realized he was in danger but he did not suspect it was from those he thought of as his friends.”
After socializing at a flat on Princess Road, the group went to a local shop to buy drinks. Upon returning, Williams produced a knife and stabbed Sutton. Sutton was transported to the hospital after attempting to flee and seek help at a nearby pub. He later succumbed to his injuries.
“This was a pre-meditated, callous act that has left Lucas’s family and friends utterly devastated. While those responsible have been held to account for their actions, I know this will do little to ease the unbearable pain Lucas’s loved ones continue to endure,” Howie added.
The evidence in the case
Keahn Williams, Kai Nelson-Palmer Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Brutal Murder of Former Friend Lucas Sutton https://t.co/tKZanbNT2V pic.twitter.com/LJI40hfxYK
— TheCrimesScene (@thecrimesscene) April 7, 2025
Evidence against Williams and Nelson-Palmer included Snapchat messages planning the attack. Security camera footage also showed Williams in a “distinctive balaclava” chasing Sutton during the murder. A similar balaclava was later recovered at an address linked to Williams, corroborating his involvement. Police recovered a similar balaclava at an address linked to Williams, corroborating Williams was involved.
The victim, Sutton’s friends and family also testified he had appeared withdrawn and fearful in the weeks before his death. He had confided that he believed he had upset people close to him and feared for his safety.
After Williams and Nelson-Palmer became public, Sutton’s family said in a joint statement, “The murder of Lucas has left a large hole in our lives which can never be filled. Lucas wasn’t perfect, he made mistakes but he was ours. He had a bright future ahead of him, but it has been taken away from him.”
Sutton’s family added, “He leaves behind his young son who will have to grow up without his best friend and father. It breaks our heart that he will never see his Dad again, we sometimes see him watching his friends playing with their dads, and we just think he will never have that.”
Published: Apr 7, 2025 11:56 am