Kenneth Glad
What initially appeared to be a violent domestic homicide in west London soon unfolded into a case built heavily on digital and forensic evidence. Investigators say the volume of data recovered revealed a pattern that had been developing long before the attack.
When officers examined the bedroom where Stephanie Hansen was found in December 2022, the scale of the violence was immediately clear. The Metropolitan Police documented extensive injuries inflicted while she slept.
DCI Neil John said: “It was horrific. There were 20 stab wounds and 39 blunt force trauma injuries, which were all centred around her head, face and neck. Blood was everywhere.”
Alongside the injuries, according to LadBible, investigators identified blood-stained fingerprints on objects inside the room, indicating they had been used during the assault.
“We didn’t find the knife that caused the stab wounds, but there were blooded fingerprints on a hairdryer and a tower fan in her bedroom which had been used to strike her with,” John added.
That physical evidence quickly aligned with findings from devices seized at the property.
Digital trail
Data recovered from phones and electronic equipment became central to the case. Investigators found tens of thousands of WhatsApp messages sent by Sheldon Rodrigues to Hansen over time, forming what officers described as a sustained and escalating stream of contact.
Some messages read: “You’re playing with fire here” and “Nobody can come between us”.
Police analysis also uncovered covert listening devices concealed within the home. These allowed Rodrigues to monitor activity remotely, including when he was working night shifts, according to investigative findings referenced by LadBible.
Detective Sergeant Brian Jones said: “It was endless and it reads like a storyboard, ultimately.”
Hansen attempted to push back against the behaviour, writing: “No, you just need to back off and be my friend.”
Investigators say the combination of constant messaging and surveillance reflected a pattern commonly associated with coercive control, where monitoring and communication are used to track and influence someone’s private life.
Case outcome
Rodrigues initially sought to deflect suspicion, telling police: “Her boyfriend stayed here two nights ago, when I was at work, on my night shift. He was gone before I finished my shift.”
Officers cross-checked that account and confirmed the boyfriend’s movements, removing him from the inquiry.
Attention returned to Rodrigues, whose digital activity and presence at the scene formed a consistent evidential picture. He was later convicted of murder and sentenced in January 2024 to a minimum of 25 years in prison.
Hansen’s family described her as widely loved. Her mother, Glenda, told The Sun: “She was a friend to everyone and anyone who knew her, loved her.”
Her brother said: “There was no one we knew who would do something like this to her. Everyone she knew, loved her.”
For investigators, the case stood out not only for its violence but for the depth of digital evidence, which mapped a progression from persistent contact to lethal action inside the same home.
Sources: LadBible, The Sun
