The Metropolitan Police has apologised over its investigation into the death of an American drag artist.
Heklina, whose real name was Steven Grygelko, 55, was found dead in his flat in Soho square on the morning of Sunday, April 3, 2023, by his friend Joshua Grannell.
No official cause of death has ever been released for the performer and detectives are still trying to determine what happened.
Met Police issued a public appeal last month to find three men they wanted to speak to who may have “vital information” in relation to Mr Grygelko’s death.
Mr Grygelko and Mr Grannell had been staying in London preparing to put on a performance of their drag parody show Mommie Queerest at Soho Theatre at the time.
Mr Grannell, who goes by the stage name Peaches Christ, had said he was “furious” it had taken police almost two years to make a public appeal.
He criticised the police for failing to keep him and Mr Grygelko’s next of kin informed about the investigation.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Grygelko said: "When I left London they had assigned me with a family liaison officer.
"They convinced me that we would be updated weekly, that we would be included in the process, that we would be informed of anything.
"I got on that plane, and every email went unanswered for months and months.
"They just completely ignored us."
The Met Police previously said Mr Grygelko’s death is being treated as unexpected and remans under investigation.
Mr Grannell has accused the police force of dismissing his friend as “trash”, while implying the Met’s actions were potentially motivated by homophobia.
The drag artist found his friend’s body when he returned to their flat one morning and told officers he was “certain” that someone else had been there before he arrived.
He told the BBC: “The door was not only not locked, but it wasn’t shut all the way.”
Announcing Steven’s death on social media in 2023, Mr Grannell wrote: “I am shocked and horrified to bring this news to you. I am living in a real-life nightmare so forgive me if I don’t have all the answers just now. This morning, in London, England I went to collect my dear friend Heklina, who is costarring with me in a Mommie Queerest show here, and found her dead.”
She added: “Heklina is not just my best friend, but a beloved icon of our community.”
Met Police said “a number of enquiries” had been made before police decided to issue the CCTV appeal.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Our thoughts remain with Steven’s friends who have many unanswered questions around his death. We pursued a number of enquiries first before issuing our latest appeal using CCTV footage.
“We appreciate Steven’s next of kin has been frustrated by the pace of the investigation and that we haven’t kept them updated throughout, we apologise and will be taking steps to correct this.
“More widely, we know the LGBT+ community are worried about Steven’s death and continue to speak to them to address wider concerns about the safety of LGBT+ people in London.”
