Suzy Lamplugh search: the full history of one of Britain's most notorious unsolved murders

Tom Powell30 October 2018

Police investigating the murder of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh more than 30 years ago have begun a search at a property in the West Midlands .

Miss Lamplugh disappeared in 1986 after leaving her west London offices to meet a mystery client known only as Mr Kipper.

No-one was convicted over her death but in 1994 she was officially declared dead, presumed murdered.

Who was Suzy Lamplugh?

Suzy Lamplugh was an estate agent in London who disappeared at the age of 25, in July 1986. She was born in Gloucestershire but lived with her family in East Sheen, in the borough of Richmond.

Miss Lamplugh's car was found parked on a road in Fulham
PA

The police investigation into her disappearance drew national attention as her body was never found, and she was declared dead in 1994.

What is known about her disappearance?

Miss Lamplugh was reported missing after going to meet a client who called himself ‘Mr Kipper’. She was due to show him round a house on Shorrolds Road in Fulham at 1pm.

Witnesses saw her waiting outside the empty house which had been on the market for less than a week. Around ten minutes later, witnesses saw them walking away from the house.

Suzy Lamplugh;s diary showed she had an appointment with 'Mr Kipper' at 12.45
PA

Her manager reported her missing to police at 6.45pm after she failed to return to work. He also called around her family to check if she was with them.

Miss Lamplugh’s white Ford Fiesta was discovered that night parked outside another property for sale in Stevenage Road, Fulham. The handbrake was off and the ignition key was missing, while her purse was found in a door storage pocket.

What happened in the police investigation?

Police uncovered no trace of Miss Lamplugh in the initial investigation, and she was eventually declared dead in 1994.

Further investigations were launched but they also failed to produce a suspect or remains.

More than 800 unidentified bodies and skeletal remains are thought to have been tested for Miss Lamplughs’s DNA in total.

Police searching for Miss Lamplugh's remains in Worcestershire in 2010
PA

In November 2002, Scotland Yard took the rare step of naming convicted rapist and killer John Cannan as the man they believe was behind Miss Lamplugh’s disappearance.

Cannan, who was jailed for life in 1989 for the rape and murder of Bristol newlywed Shirley Banks, has been questioned several times. But he has always denied the allegation and no sufficient evidence has ever been found to charge him.

What is the latest development?

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Tuesday that officers were carrying out a search at a premises in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham.

The force refused to comment on "speculation surrounding the search", after The Sun reported the property was once connected to prime suspect John Cannan.

John Cannan was named as the only suspect in the murder of Suzy Lamplugh
PA

A spokesman said: "Officers from the Met are currently carrying out a search at a premises in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham.

"The search follows information received in relation to a historical unsolved investigation being led by the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command."

Officers from West Midlands Police are supporting Scotland Yard.

The Met stressed that the current occupants of the property were in no way connected to the investigation.

What is her legacy?

Miss Lamplugh's mother, who died in 2011, Diana set up the Suzy Lamplugh Trust four months after the disappearance.

The charity works to reduce the risk of violence and aggression through campaigning and education, helping to bring about the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 which tackled stalking.

Diana and Paul Lamplugh, the parents of Suzy Lamplugh who went missing in 1986, in their garden in London in 1993
PA

In 2016, Miss Lamplugh's father Paul said he had little hope left of finding out what happened to his daughter.

Mr Lamplugh, who had dementia and died in June this year, said his daughter knew "how to live life fully but no-one taught her how to be safe".

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in