'Evil' Postman Killed Her, Then Played Normal for Days
When police arrived at the East Kilbride flat, they didn't expect to find the body of a 21-year-old woman mutilated and covered up in the hallway. What followed next was a case that gripped a nation and horrified a courtroom.
A Murder in the Middle of the Night
On Nov. 16, 2024, 21-year-old Phoenix Spencer-Horn returned home from her shift as a waitress. She had dinner plans with her boyfriend, Ewan Methven, a 27-year-old postman she had dated for two years.
By midnight, everything had unraveled.
According to prosecutors, Methven strangled and stabbed Spencer-Horn 20 times in their shared top-floor apartment in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire. A fatal wound to the chest ended her life, but the violence didn't stop there. Methven then allegedly attempted to sever her limbs and head — a chilling attempt to conceal the crime scene.
What Happened Next: The Attempted Cover-Up
Allegedly, Methven spent the next two days pretending everything was normal. He sent texts to Spencer-Horn's mother claiming her daughter was "alive and well," while driving her car, searching for pornography online over 170 times, and attempting to buy cocaine, according to the Independent.
It wasn't until Nov. 18 that Methven called emergency services. He claimed the murder had taken place during a drug-induced psychotic episode, saying he had blacked out and only now had the courage to call.
Inside the Apartment
When officers arrived, they found Spencer-Horn's body in the hallway next to two blood-stained knives. A third knife, also bloodied, was recovered from the bathroom. Methven allegedly told police, "I could not stay here with her like that. I tried to dismember her. I moved her from the bath and put her there," according to the BBC.
The prosecutor described him as calm. A delivery driver who interacted with Methven earlier that night said he did not appear to be intoxicated or under the influence — contradicting Methven's claim of a substance-fueled blackout.
A Guilty Plea and Awaiting Sentence
In June 2025, Methven pleaded guilty to murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice at the High Court in Glasgow. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14. His legal team offered no justification, instead saying, "He recognizes the relatives and friends will never be able to forgive him. He will not be able to forgive himself. He understands the bereaved will seek an explanation, but he cannot provide an explanation," according to the BBC.
Her mother, Alison Spencer, was in court for the hearing, along with other family members. They listened quietly as the gruesome details were laid out — a stark contrast to the life Spencer-Horn had reportedly enjoyed just hours before her death.
The Aftermath
The court's description of Methven as the "personification of evil" didn't just come from the prosecution. His own defense team echoed that language, noting the irreversible damage done to Spencer-Horn's family and friends, according to the Daily Mail.
What led Methven to commit such a violent act remains a haunting mystery. With a guilty plea in hand but no clear motive, those left behind are left only with unanswered questions — and the memory of a young life taken in a moment of brutal violence.
References: Postman Who Decapitated Girlfriend and Dismembered Her Body Is 'Personification of Evil,' Court Hears | Man admits brutal murder of partner and cover-up bid | Postman admits murdering and beheading girlfriend before texting her mum in cover-up bid | Cocaine-crazed postman who became the 'personification of evil'
