A terrifying cache of weapons and a lunch box containing deadly ricin were discovered in Axel Rudakubana’s bedroom. It is believed he used Amazon to buy a number of blades and equipment to make the poison at least two years before the murders. Police released pictures of a machete, crossbow arrows and knives found under his bed when they raided his home after the Southport murders.
Their search came to a halt the next day when they discovered a “pulp” in a plastic container in his bedroom. Scientists at Porton Down confirmed it was ricin, a lethal toxin derived from castor beans. Liverpool crown court heard the 150 beans police found could have produced enough ricin to kill 12,500 people if inhaled.
Also in Rudakubana’s room were the contents of his chemical lab – goggles, sieves, funnels, a conical flask and a pestle and mortar with the remnants of castor beans still inside. A search of the messy living room found a knife identical to the one used to murder the three girls.
Police also discovered a number of electronic devices, most of which had their search history wiped clean. The killer, then 17, was found to have read articles and books that showed his obsession with extreme violence. These included texts on genocide in his parents’ native Rwanda, Nazi war atrocities, urban warfare tactics and graphic details of torture and cannibalism. He was also found to have researched the use of car bombs, “electronic detonators” and “strong nitric acid”. In addition, a file was found containing an al-Qaeda training manual.
