40 years ago a beautiful, bright and popular Estate Agent by the name of Suzy Lamplugh, popped out of her place of work to go and meet a client for a viewing at a property. She didn't bother taking her handbag because she knew it was going to be a quick meeting, that was her plan. She took along her keys and her purse which contained a small amount of money and her bank cards. It was lunchtime and she probably thought she would stop somewhere on the way back to the office to get some sandwiches, however, none of this was to take place. It was 12:40 pm on Monday the 28th of July 1986, a beautiful summer's day in Fulham, London. The booking was with a 'Mr Kipper', a name that would ring alarm bells with a lot of people, but Suzy was no stranger to encountering unusual surnames in her line of work. She always put 110% into her job and for her, it was just another day at the office.
Before entering this field of work Suzy, who was just 25 years old, had already sailed the world having worked aboard the luxury cruise liner, the QE2 in the early 1980s as a beautician. Suzy was not only strikingly beautiful but also very talented with a very sweet personality. Anyone who knew her personally or had briefly met her had later mentioned how lovely she was as a person. Despite being a successful beautician she no longer found the role enjoyable and wanted to try something new, she also wanted to be closer to her boyfriend Adam who worked in London as a stockbroker. Suzy got on to a new career path as an Estate Agent at a time when London really was the place to be and she excelled in the role. Suzy was born on the 3rd of May 1961 to devoted parents, Diana and Paul, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Suzy also had two sisters and a brother. The family were all hardworking and very close.
This case has never left the British public's consciousness since it was first reported. From the get-go the police had made a mess of the investigation and it left the Lamplugh family frustrated. The 28th of July 1986 was just like any other typical Monday, Suzy had met many clients at properties before and there was never an issue but this time she was meeting someone that the police always maintained was a very dangerous man who was most likely her killer, John Cannan. The police, despite lack of physical evidence always firmly believed that John murdered Suzy, he wouldn't talk about it.
John Cannan was the last person you would want to see if you were alone. Unbeknown to Suzy, John had been watching her and waiting to make his move. This wasn't just a shy. quiet guy who just simply wanted to take her out on a date, he had other plans, sinister plans. For a long time it remained a mystery as to who this man really was.
On that beautiful summer's day, after being spotted by witnesses talking to a smartly-dressed man who had a bottle of wine or champagne in his hand, Suzy just vanished. As time went on, her employer became concerned along with family and friends as to why Suzy had not returned to work or home. This was not like Suzy to avoid contact with her family, friends and colleagues. Fears were even more through the roof when her car was discovered abandoned. John Cannan came to the police's attention because he fit the description of the man last seen by witnesses, talking to Suzy. He also happened to be convicted previously of stalking, abducting women, violent assaults on previous girlfriends, sexual assault and murder. The man was a complete monster with a horrific history of violence towards women but painted himself as Mr Casanova, often smartly dressed, hair slicked back, well spoken, claimed to be into reading poetry and philosophy. He also liked to charm women with flowers, chocolates and champagne. Innocent women thinking they had met a proper gentleman (who claimed to have slept with over 100 women) were soon to find out the truth when John's demeanour soon quickly changed and the real him emerged. He was a terrifying combination of Dr Jekll and Mr Hyde.
John's modus operandi when it came to how he treated his victims, especially the young newlywed woman, Shirley Banks who he sexually assaulted and murdered, spoke volumes to investigators. There was too many similarities with the description of his appearance, Suzy's disappearance and the way he would constantly try to play with the police, admitting his guilt one minute but then changing his mind next. John Cannan thought of himself as very clever and above the police intellectually. At the time of Suzy's disappearance, John had been serving some time in prison but he was allowed out on day release, he had a job around the same area where Suzy had been working. It is believed that he noticed her whilst out and about and quickly fixated on her. The manner in which John Cannan had abandoned Shirley Bank's car and how it was found was eerily similar to that of Suzy's car.
In the beginning of the investigation as I mentioned before, there were a series of errors by the police, including sending an old picture out into the media of Suzy with dark hair, she had recently dyed her hair blonde at the time she went missing. Some of the errors with this investigation remind me of the Claudia Lawrence case. The police had sent out an old picture of Claudia with blonde hair instead of a most recent one where she had darker hair. It might sound petty but it's the little details that really mean a lot when looking for a missing person. You might be walking down the street and just see the back of someone's head and all you have to go on is the description of their clothing and the colour and style of their hair. Claudia's case hauntingly echoes that of Suzy Lamplugh's as it has also remained unsolved for decades with no clues as to what really happened to her, is she still alive? Nobody knows and it's heartbreaking as is Suzy's case along with so many others.
The news of Suzy's sudden vanishing on a typical Monday sent shockwaves through the UK, everyone imagined the worst and Suzy's family were very realistic, especially her mother Diana. Diana was straight to the point and said that she felt like Suzy was now deceased and that she didn't expect her to come home. Suzy's family never gave up, especially her parents who built up a foundation called the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Diana worked morning, noon and night, not only still searching for her daughter but also trying to raise awareness about the need for women's safety. I remember being given a personal alarm when I did some work at a charity for male and female survivors of sexual assault. This alarm had a button you could press if you found yourself in a scary situation. The alarm also had a ring that you could pull out which would cause the alarm to ring out louder and louder continuously. I thought it was an amazing idea and I was told the alarm was from the Suzy Lamplugh trust. The sad thing about it though was that there was only a small number of these alarms that were being given out and then suddenly they stopped due to lack of funding. I ended up giving my personal alarm to a 14 year old girl who I was supporting as she had been through a traumatic experience and I wanted her to feel at least some sort of protection. I feel that, even in 2026, we are still not able to fully protect ourselves in the way that we should.
We are taught to be careful about what we carry, so a small knife in our bags (only to be used at a time of potential attack) is totally out of the question. We can't even carry pepper spray. Women are having to resort to carrying keys with pointed keyrings and using muscle treatment spray as something to help protect themselves should they end up in one of these horrendous situations. Suzy's mother (together with the incredible support behind the scenes of her husband, Paul) campaigned tirelessly for women to be able to protect themselves more, she did all of this whilst also trying to find her own daughter which she partially accepted the possibility may never be found. The Lamplugh family were incredibly honest and opened themselves up to the British public, sharing their thoughts and feelings. They spoke of how as time went on, they felt that Suzy was dead and that there was a part of them that didn't want to know where her remains were because they knew that it wouldn't be how they would want to remember Suzy.
Suzy had a real zest for life and she was always busy doing something to the point that it concerned Diana. Diana would often tell her daughter to slow down but Suzy refused, telling her that life was for living. In the time that she was in her parent's lives, Suzy had made them immensely proud. She had achieved so much all the way through right up until she went missing. There's not many 25 year olds that can say they've travelled the world, tried exotic foods, walked on various sandy beaches, felt the waves on beautiful islands and met thousands of people. Suzy experienced a lot of life and she always lived it to the fullest, never missing a beat.
On a side note, which I may have mentioned previously on this blog having written about Serial Killer Steve Wright, Suzy had actually worked alongside him when she was a beautician on the QE2. It is a very chilling thought. Apparently witnesses who had been aboard the luxury liner recall seeing Suzy and Steve together chatting on various occasions. Although a chilling fact, Steve Wright has never been connected to Suzy's disappearance, the police always remained fixated on John Cannan.
Despite the fact the police claimed that John Cannan was their number one suspect in Suzy's case, there was no 100% confirmation because John played games with investigators. The case remained open and there was no closure to it because the years continued to roll by, Suzy's parents and family continued to work hard with their foundation until the heartbreaking deaths of both Diana and Paul. Suzy's brother, sisters and family continued on with the foundation and still work so very hard raising awareness to not only help other women and young girls but to also get some possible information one day about what really happened to Suzy.
John Cannan died in 2024 at the age of 70 in prison of natural causes. He kept his evil mouth shut right up until the end. He took his evil and dark secrets with him. He is suspected to have not only murdered Suzy but could be responsible for other unsolved murders too. Was John Cannan a Serial Killer? He was a monster who enjoyed torturing and sexually assaulting women, he put them through hell and nobody believes for one second that Shirley Banks was his only murder victim. Will we ever know the truth? Will we ever find out what really happened to Suzy Lamplugh? So many questions remain, 40 years later and still....so many questions remain unanswered.
This case has always been heartbreaking, as are all the stories I have written about on this blog. It's terribly sad that Diana and Paul passed away never knowing the real truth of what happened to Suzy. They were incredibly strong and such amazing people. During my research I watched interviews with Suzy's family and friends, I was struck by how amazingly strong and very kind, all of these people were. Their focus was not only on finding proper justice for Suzy and finding out the truth, but also to help protect other women and girls from something similar happening to them. Diana and Paul were also extremely supportive of other families of high profile victims who had been n the British press, they knew what they were going through and gave them support in any way they could. A truly remarkable couple and an incredible foundation they built in tribute to their beloved daughter.
I hope that for Suzy's remaining family members, friends and all who are touched by this case, that answers will come. I also hope that if there is unidentified victims of John Cannan out there, that they have their stories told and given the justice they deserve after so many years.
RIP in peace Shirley Banks & Any potential unidentified victims of John Cannan. Suzy Lamplugh is always in our thoughts. I would say my condolences to Suzy but it feels disrespectful. Suzy was declared deceased in 1994 although her remains were never found. RIP to Diana and Paul, your incredible legacy and foundation lives on.
Further Reading & Sources:
- Suzy Lamplugh: Article | BBC News
- Suzy Lamplugh: Article | The Guardian
- Disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh | Wikipedia
- John Cannan: Article | BBC News
- The Suzy Lamplugh Story: The Search For The Truth | Book by Andrew Stephen
- John Cannan: Inquest | Prisons And Probation Ombudsman
- Prime Suspect: The True Story of John Cannan | Book by Christopher Berry-Dee
- Suzy Lamplugh (Documentary) | Real Crime Youtube
- Suzy Lamplugh | Find A Grave
- Suzy Lamplugh: Article | Birmingham Live
- John Cannan: Article | The Times
Thank you as always for reading my latest post. I hope you will join me in the next one.
In the meantime, I hope to see you on my Socials
Take care & stay safe, until next time.....x
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