Forty years on from the disappearance of a Fulham estate agent, police detectives are still convinced there’s more to her story.
On the 28 July 1986, Suzy Lamplugh went missing after leaving the office of Sturgis and Sons to meet with a client. Her body was never found.
The 25-year-old’s diary showed an appointment on Shorrolds Road with a man named “Mr Kipper”. There was no other information on the page.
Head of the Metropolitan Police cold case homicide squad Detective Chief Inspector Teresa Foster described Suzy’s case as unlike any other within the force, and that her disappearance ‘haunts us’.
The investigation into her suspected murder is to be mothballed next year, making it imperative that those with information should get in contact with the police.
A mile from her office, on Stevenage Road, was where her company car was found – her purse was inside, but with no keys.
A smudged fingerprint on the white Ford Fiesta’s rear view mirror has never been matched.
In 1993, seven years on from Lamplugh’s disappearance, she was declared legally dead, presumed murdered.
For the anniversary marking 40 years since she vanished, her family have released photos of her, surrounded by her brothers and sisters.
Her siblings, Lizzie, Tamsin and Richard, characterised her as a “truly beautiful person inside and out”.
DCI Foster has hope that advancements in AI technology and forensics could solve the case.
She said: “I’m quite excited about what’s happening in the artificial intelligence world.
“It could change any murder investigation, but most especially a cold case with all the documents that we have.
“But also change of allegiance, family members coming forward, even after 40 years.”
John Cannan, the prime suspect, died in November 2024 while he was serving his prison sentence for the 1987 murder of Shirley Banks, a newly married woman from Bristol.
There was never enough evidence to charge him with the murder of Lamplugh.
A trust has since been set up in Suzy’s name to help victims of stalking.
Image credits: Family handout/PA Media, with thanks
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