Valdo Calocane brother thought killer's messages were about suicide, inquiry told

"Elias Calocane described his brother, who sent him texts about red rum, which is murder spelt backwards, as a calm and peaceful person. Former student Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, stabbed to death undergraduates Barnaby Webber and Grace O-Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, before trying to murder three pedestrians with a van in Nottingham."

"On Wednesday, Calocane's brother gave evidence to the Nottingham Inquiry, which is examining events leading up to the killings in June 2023, when he was questioned about a series of text messages sent by the killer in 2020. Elias Calocane told the inquiry he thought an I love you message sent from his brother in January of that year was a goodbye message."

"Calocane, who believed he was being monitored, sent further messages saying that previous night I felt immense anguish, paranoia, anger, hatred and that he had the darkest thoughts. Another mes"

Elias Calocane told the Nottingham Inquiry that he thought his brother’s messages about hurting permanently were connected to his suicidal thoughts. He described his brother as calm and peaceful and said the killer sent texts including “red rum,” which he said was murder spelled backwards. Elias said he believed an “I love you” message sent in January 2020 was a goodbye message. He also said his brother wrote about feeling immense anguish, paranoia, anger, hatred, and having the darkest thoughts. The inquiry examines events leading up to the June 2023 killings in Nottingham, including the stabbing deaths of Barnaby Webber and Grace O-Malley-Kumar and caretaker Ian Coates, followed by an attempted van attack on pedestrians.

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