Detectives in Derry investigating yesterday's murders of two men, both of whom were alcoholics, said they were neither ruling in nor out the possibility that the two killings were linked.
The body of Paul Cross, (39), a single man, was found in his Ardfoyle home Bishop Street, just after 3 a.m. yesterday.
Five hours later the police found the body of Bernard Martin Parkes (37), lying on the hallway of his Campion Court home in Gobnascale, Waterside.
Community sources said both men knew each other and were drinking with each other the night before they died.
Two men were last night being questioned about Mr Cross's murder and three men and two women were in police custody over Mr Parkes's murder.
PSNI Chief Insp Tom Woods said both victims suffered horrific deaths.
"We have arrested in total seven people in relation to the two incidents," he said.