Suzy Lamplugh: Who is she and what happened to her? 
 
 Suzy Lamplugh: Who is she and what happened to her? 
 
 Ceren Senkul, news reporter 
 
 Police are re-opening the case into the disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh, who was last seen in 1986 and is believed to have been murdered. 
 
 Here is what we know about her case. 
 
 Who is she and when was she last seen? 
 
 Suzy Lamplugh was a 25-year-old estate agent working in Fulham, west London. 
 
 On Monday 28 July, 1986, Suzy left her office in Fulham Road to show a client around a house nearby at around 12.40pm. 
 
 She was seen waiting outside an empty property on Shorrald's Road. 
 
 Image: Suzy worked as an estate agent in west London 
 
 She had recorded the appointment in her work diary: "12.45 Mr Kipper – 37 Shorrolds Road O/S". 
 
 Image: Suzy wrote an entry in her diary that she had an appointment with 'Mr Kipper' 
 
 At 1pm, she was joined by a man, presumably Mr Kipper. 
 
 They were seen walking away from the house a few minutes later. 
 
 After Suzy failed to return to work, her manager called Suzy's mother Diana to ask if she had gone home for lunch. 
 
 After hearing that Mrs Lamplugh had not seen her daughter either, he reported Suzy's disappearance to the police at around 6.40pm. 
 
 Image: Artist's impression of 'Mr Kipper' 
 
 What did the initial investigation find? 
 
 When Suzy went to show the house, she took with her her house and car keys and a purse with £15 and credit cards, but left her handbag behind. 
 
 Police found Suzy's company car about a mile from her office just after 10pm. 
 
 The driver's door was unlocked and the handbrake was off. 
 
 Suzy's purse was in the glove compartment, but her keys were missing. 
 
 There were no signs of a struggle and no unexplained fingerprints. 
 
 Image: She was last seen in 1986 
 
 Was a body ever found? 
 
 The investigation into Suzy's disappearance was closed in 1987 after it failed to produce any leads. 
 
 Investigators never found a body, but Suzy was officially declared dead in 1993. 
 
 Her parents, Paul and Diana, set up the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, one of the first charities to raise awareness about women's personal safety. 
 
 They worked tirelessly to find Suzy's killer, but unfortunately they both died before knowing what happened to their daughter. 
 
 Image: Suzy'z parents, Diana and Paul 
 
 Mrs Lamplugh suffered two strokes and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2003. She died in 2011. 
 
 Mr Lamplugh continued to be involved in the charity after his wife's death, but he died this year after suffering from Parkinson's disease. 
 
 Do police know who did it? 
 
 Police interviewed hundreds of suspects, but were unable to make progress. 
 
 Investigators even explored the idea that Mr Kipper could have been Suzy's pronunciation of the Dutch name "Kuiper", but they didn't find anyone of this name connected to her. 
 
 Image: John Cannan is the prime suspect 
 
 In November 2002, Scotland Yard held a press conference where they named John Cannan as the man they believe murdered Suzy. 
 
 Cannan is currently in jail for the killing of another woman, Shirley Banks, in 1987, as well as the abduction and rape of other women. 
 
 He was released from a hostel days before Suzy disappeared, which is why police believed he could be her killer. 
 
 He denies killing her, and the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to charge him. 
 
 Cannan was widely said to have used the name "Kipper" in prison. 
 
 Suzy had worked as a beautician on the ocean liner QE2 in 1982 at the same time as steward Steve Wright, who was convicted in 2008 of murdering five prostitutes in Ipswich. 
 
 The same year he was convicted police investigated possible links between the pair after his former wife, Diane Cole, said they knew each other, but the investigation came to nothing. 
 
 Image: Suzy Lamplugh was declared dead in 1993 
 
 What is the latest development? 
 
 An inmate told police in 2002 that Suzy was buried under the patio at Cannan's mother's house in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. 
 
 The Sun reported that he may have placed Suzy's body in an inspection pit before filling it with concrete. 
 
 Today, officers are making excavations on Cannan's mother's former property - she moved out in 1992 and another family has lived there ever since. 
 
 The family who live on the property are not connected to the investigation but have given their permission for the search. 

 Video report by ITV News correspondent Damon Green 
 
 Police investigating estate agent Suzy Lamplugh's murder more than 30 years ago are preparing to excavate the garden of a home previously owned by the prime suspect's mother. Miss Lamplugh disappeared in 1986 aged 25, having left her west London offices to meet a mystery client known only as Mr Kipper. Witnesses reported seeing her argue with a man outside a property in Shorrold Road, Fulham, where the lunchtime viewing was due to take place on July 28, 1986. Her white Ford Fiesta was found the night she disappeared more than a mile away, near Fulham's football ground. Despite widespread searches she was never found and no one was convicted over her death. In 1994 she was officially declared dead, presumed murdered. On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police were leading a search at a Birmingham property previously belonging to John Cannan's mother. 
 
 Police outside a home on Shipton Road in Sutton Coldfield have begun a search of the back garden. Credit: PA 
 
 A blue tent was erected over what is believed to be a former garage. Credit: PA 
 
 The convicted killer, who is currently in jail for rape and murder, was named as the prime suspect by police in 2002 and her death has remained one of the UK's most notorious cold cases. Insurance marketer Phillip Carey said he purchased the home in Shipton Road, Sutton Coldfield, from Sheila Cannan in 1992. It is not the first time police have been at the family home, the 52-year-old father-of-two said, with officers visiting the garden over several months about 15 years ago before returning on Monday. They did not dismantle, dig or remove anything during searches, as far as Mr Carey was aware. Mr Carey told ITV News he hopes the searches will bring some form of closure to the investigation. 
 
 Mr Carey said: "If anything does turn out and it brings the story to a close...sadly not in time for the parents, but the story comes to an end at last." He added: "It gives closure to so many people, that if something is found, it's the right thing to happen." Jim Dickie, the detective superintendent leading the investigation between 2000 and 2006, confirmed his officers did not dig or perform an "extensive" search of the home. "We had no evidence or intelligence to lead us to believe that John Cannan may have secreted Suzy's body there," he said. 
 
 Convicted killer John Cannan was named as the prime suspect. Credit: PA 
 
 At the scene, specialist forensics scientists from the private company Alecto arrived carried equipment throughout the morning. A blue tent was erected over what is believed to be a former garage in the rear garden of the property, the roof of which is just visible beyond the police cordon. The Met, being supported by West Midlands Police officers, stressed that the current occupants of the property are in no way connected to the investigation. Cannan, who was jailed for life in 1989 for the rape and murder of Bristol newlywed Shirley Banks, was named as the prime suspect by police in 2002. Three days earlier, Cannan had been released from a hostel at Wormwood Scrubs Prison, where he had been serving a six-year sentence for rape. He bore a strong resemblance to an e-fit of the abductor and, according to reports, he was nicknamed Kipper while serving his earlier sentence. 
 
 An artist's impression of 'Mr Kipper'. Credit: PA 
 
 The page from Suzy's work diary noting her meeting with Mr Kipper. Credit: PA 
 
 In 2002, claims were reported that Cannan had buried Miss Lamplugh's body under his mother's patio in the West Midlands. A Scotland Yard spokesman at the time said the theory was "something we are currently considering", but did not confirm reports they planned to excavate the garden in the coming days. On Tuesday a spokeswoman for the force declined to comment on why the dig was to take place now, citing the sensitivity of the operation. It is not the first site to be dug in the search for her remains. Police twice excavated sites in Worcestershire, first near Norton Barracks in 2000 and then a meadow several miles away in 2010. Cannan, now 64, has been questioned several times over the murder and has denied the allegation. 
 
 Numerous searches over the years have failed to find Suzy. Credit: PA 
 
 Miss Lamplugh's parents, Paul and Diana, set up the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to support victims of stalking. Both died before seeing their daughter's killer brought to justice. The trust said the latest development is a reminder of the "continuing tragedy", adding: "The thoughts of everyone at Suzy Lamplugh Trust are with Suzy's family today." Cannan was ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years in prison, meaning he would be eligible to be considered for parole from 2024. But the then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Lane, said he would "probably never be safe to release". Mr Carey said the latest search is a "surreal" experience, and added: "Either (the property) is eliminated from it entirely or, if there is something found, it's closure for the family, and this tragic story can come to an end." 

 Image copyright REX/Shutterstock Image caption Suzy Lamplugh was reported missing at 18:45 BST on 28 July 1986 
 
 A garage linked to the murder of Suzy Lamplugh, who was last seen alive more than 30 years ago, is set to be dug up. 
 
 Estate agent Suzy, 25, from London, disappeared in July 1986 and was declared dead, presumed murdered, in 1994. A body has never been found. 
 
 Police are searching at a house in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, once owned by the mother of John Cannan - the prime suspect in Suzy's killing. 
 
 The Met Police refused to comment on "speculation surrounding the search". 
 
 However, it confirmed it was leading the operation, supported by officers from West Midlands Police. 
 
 Image caption An aerial shot of the search area in Sutton Coldfield 
 
 Suzy's brother Richard said he hoped her body would be found so the family could say a "proper goodbye". 
 
 "It has been a long time and we have had our expectations raised before but it would nice if we could finally have some closure," he told the Mail Online. 
 
 Homeowner Phillip Carey, 52, said he bought the house on Shipton Road from John Cannan's mother Sheila 26 years ago and was aware of the back story. 
 
 "We knew who she was, we became aware who she was as we went through the relationship, and obviously it was high profile at the time." 
 
 He told the BBC police arrived on Monday and were investigating a garage behind the semi-detached home, which he used to store DIY items and an old fridge. 
 
 The iron structure had been dismantled and police were particularly interested in what was underneath its concrete floor, Mr Carey said. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The property is being searched by police 
 
 The BBC understands work to remove parts of the concrete floor has begun. 
 
 Mr Carey said he believed there was a "50-50 chance" Suzy's remains would be found. 
 
 "It's a possibility," he said. "There's always a possibility." 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Phillip Carey's home is at the centre of a search for Suzy Lamplugh's body 
 
 Father-of-two Mr Carey said officers had previously performed searches at the property "on and off" from the end of 2003 to the spring of 2004. 
 
 "They knew what they were looking for. It was just patio they were looking at as far as I was aware," he said. 
 
 Who was Suzy? 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Suzy Lamplugh was declared dead in 1994 
 
 One of four children, Suzy was born in Cheltenham but grew up in East Sheen, south London. 
 
 Described by family and colleagues as a conscientious, outgoing and happy young woman, she worked as a beautician on the QE2 cruise liner before becoming an estate agent. 
 
 At the time of her disappearance, she had been living in a two-bedroom flat in Putney she had purchased a year earlier. 
 
 Her parents Diana and Paul, who have both since died, described her as someone who lived life to the full. 
 
 Speaking in 2016, Suzy's father recalled a conversation where his wife "was chiding her for doing too much" and Suzy said: "Come on mum life is for living". 
 
 What happened to her? 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Suzy's diary showed an entry for an appointment with Mr Kipper at 12:45 BST 
 
 While Suzy's body has never been found, what is known of her final movements has been well documented. 
 
 She disappeared on 28 July 1986, after going to meet a client - known only as Mr Kipper - who was never traced. 
 
 Suzy took her keys and a purse containing £15 to the appointment in Fulham, south west London, but left her handbag at her office. 
 
 According to police, she was wearing a grey skirt, dark jacket and low stiletto heels when she was last seen. 
 
 Later that day, witnesses reported seeing her arguing with a man outside a property in Shorrolds Road. 
 
 When she failed to attend another appointment, her manager at Sturgis estate agents reported Suzy missing the same evening. 
 
 A few hours later, police found her company car outside a property for sale in Stevenage Road, one-and-a-half miles away from her original appointment. 
 
 The white Ford Fiesta had been left with its doors open and Suzy's purse in the door pocket. The key was missing. 
 
 Investigations also traced the address given by Mr Kipper - and found no-one of that name. 
 
 No-one has ever been charged in connection with Suzy's disappearance, but in 2002 police named convicted killer Cannan as the only suspect. 
 
 Who is John Cannan? 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption John Cannan bore a strong resemblance to an e-fit of Mr Kipper - the man she was seen talking to on the day she went missing 
 
 Three days before Suzy's disappearance, John Cannan was released from Wormwood Scrubs Prison, where he had been serving a six-year sentence for rape. 
 
 He bore a strong resemblance to an e-fit of the abductor and, according to reports, was nicknamed Kipper while serving his earlier sentence. 
 
 Now aged 64, in 1989 he was jailed for life for the abduction and murder of Bristol newlywed Shirley Banks and two further rapes. 
 
 Cannan was ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years in prison, meaning he would be eligible to be considered for parole from 2024. 
 
 But the then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Lane, said he would "probably never be safe to release". 
 
 In November 2002, police took the unusual step of naming Cannan as the prime suspect in Suzy's murder. 
 
 However, no prosecution has ever been brought, with police citing insufficient evidence. 
 
 Cannan has always denied any involvement. 
 
 Why is there a new search? 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jim Dickie led a review of the investigation into Suzy's disappearance 
 
 Jim Dickie, a former Met Police deputy chief inspector, who led a review of the case in 2000, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme police were likely acting on new evidence. 
 
 "It seems as if the [operation] is going to be quite extensive," he said. 
 
 Mr Dickie said his team spoke to John Cannan's mother during their review but did not carry out an "extensive search" of the site. 
 
 There was "no evidence" Cannan had "secreted Suzy's body there", he said. 
 
 However, Mr Dickie said Cannan remained "firmly in the frame as a suspect", and was "never eliminated". 
 
 He said there was "no doubt [Cannan] was in Fulham on the day Suzy went missing". 
 
 The case was reopened in 2000 after a car police believed might have been used to kidnap Suzy was traced. 
 
 Two sites in Worcestershire - a former Army barracks and a field outside the village of Drakes Broughton - and a woodland in the Quantock Hills, Somerset, have also been searched. 
 
 Suzy's legacy 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Paul and Diana Lamplugh, pictured in May 2000, campaigned for changes in the law 
 
 Suzy's mother Diana, who died in 2011, set up the Suzy Lamplugh Trust four months after her daughter disappeared. 
 
 The workplace safety charity has successfully campaigned for private hire vehicle licensing in London, bringing about the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 which tackled stalking, and setting up the National Stalking Helpline. 
 
 In 2016, Suzy's father said he had little hope left of finding out what happened to her. 
 
 The trust said Mr Lamplugh died on 12 June this year. He and his wife have both been awarded OBEs for their work. 
 
 In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, the trust said: "Today's news reminds us once again of the continuing tragedy of Suzy's story and the importance of employers taking responsibility for the personal safety of their staff." 

 Police investigating the cold case of Suzy Lamplugh, an estate agent who disappeared in 1986, have begun digging up a garden and dismantling a garage at a home previously owned by the prime suspect’s mother. 
 
 Lamplugh was 25 when she vanished after leaving her west London offices to meet a client known only as Mr Kipper. 
 
 She was officially declared dead, presumed murdered, in 1994, but no one has been convicted. 
 
 The Metropolitan police confirmed on Tuesday that officers were searching premises in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. They said the occupants of the property were not connected to the investigation. 
 
 The house was purchased from the mother of John Cannan, who was jailed for life in 1989 for the rape and murder of Shirley Banks, the attempted kidnapping of Julia Holman on the previous night and the rape of a woman in Reading, in 1986. 
 
 Police named him as the prime suspect in Lamplugh’s presumed murder in 2002 and have questioned him several times. He has denied the allegation. 
 
 The owner of the home, Phillip Carey, 52, said he bought it from Sheila Cannan about 26 years ago. Officers arrived at the property on Monday and had previously searched it in 2003, he told the Press Association. 
 
 Specialist forensic scientists from the private company Alecto attended the scene. 
 
 Three forensic tents were erected in the garden and blue sheeting covered what is believed to be the site of a garage built over a concrete base. The sound of an angle grinder could be heard as the search continued. Later, forensics officers could be seen pushing wheelbarrows of debris towards a skip at the rear of the property. Concrete covered in soil could be seen in the skip. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Forensics tents in the garden on Shipton Road in Sutton Coldfield. Photograph: Pete Byrne/PA 
 
 Jim Dickie, the detective who led the investigation at the time of Lamplugh’s disappearance, confirmed officers had previously visited the home but no thorough searches were conducted and the garden was not excavated. 
 
 “We had no evidence or intelligence to lead us to believe that John Cannan may have secreted Suzy’s body there,” he told the BBC. 
 
 Speaking to Sky News, Dickie insisted his officers left “no stone unturned” in the search for Lamplugh’s body. 
 
 “My best guess is that the police have received new information or intelligence which would lead them to believe that there’s a body maybe buried at that location. Hopefully they find her body, but my head tells me that is highly unlikely.” 
 
 A Met spokesman said: “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 were supporting Scotland Yard. 
 
 On the day of her disappearance, witnesses reported seeing Lamplugh arguing with a man outside a property in Fulham, south-west London. Her white Ford Fiesta was later found just over a mile away. 
 
 Three days earlier, Cannan had been released from a hostel at Wormwood Scrubs prison, where he had been serving a six-year sentence for rape. 
 
 He bore a strong resemblance to an e-fit of the suspected abductor, according to Dickie. 
 
 “We eliminated all the other suspects and John Cannan was firmly in the frame for Suzy’s abduction and murder. And he still remains the main suspect to this day,” he told the BBC. 
 
 “There is no doubt that John Cannan was in Fulham on the day Suzy went missing. He was Mr Kipper. If you look at the photofit of Mr Kipper, that was John Cannan. He has raped a number of women … he has abducted a number of women. It all ties in with John Cannan.” 
 
 Cannan, now 64, has been questioned several times over the murder and has repeatedly denied the allegation. 
 
 He was ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years in prison, meaning he would be eligible to be considered for parole from 2024. But at the time of his sentencing, the then lord chief justice, Lord Lane, said he would “probably never be safe to release”. 
 
 The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which her family set up to support victims of stalking, said: “The thoughts of everyone at Suzy Lamplugh Trust are with Suzy’s family today. We continue the work of [her parents] Paul and Diana to reduce violence and aggression in society, supporting workplaces to help their lone and frontline workers be safer and feel safer. 
 
 “Today’s news reminds us once again of the continuing tragedy of Suzy’s story and the importance of employers taking responsibility for the personal safety of their staff.”
– UK police are digging up a property previously owned by the mother of a convicted killer in the hope of solving a 32-year-old cold case. Real estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, then 25, vanished on July 28, 1986, after leaving her London offices to meet an unknown "Mr. Kipper" at a property in Fulham and was presumed dead in 1994. On Tuesday, Met Police confirmed officers were searching a property formerly owned by murder suspect John Cannan's mother. Later imprisoned for 35 years for the rape and murder of a Bristol woman, Cannan had finished serving a six-year sentence for rape just three days before Lamplugh vanished and was known to be in Fulham at the time, report the Guardian and BBC. Though he's denied involvement, Cannan also went by Kipper while in prison, per ITV News. While a "Mr. Kipper" has never been traced, witnesses do recall seeing Lamplugh arguing with a man at her appointment. Her car was later found 1.5 miles away with its doors open and Lamplugh's purse inside, per the BBC. The owner of the property now being examined in Birmingham, who purchased it from Cannan's mother in 1992, says it was also searched "on and off" from the end of 2003 to spring 2004. This time, authorities are actually digging—removing the concrete floor of a dismantled garage behind the semi-detached home, reports the BBC, which adds the sad note that both of Lamplugh's parents are now deceased. Her mother died in 2011 following two strokes and an Alzheimer's diagnosis, per Sky News, while her father reportedly died in June after a battle with Parkinson's disease. (A husband is charged in a cold case murder in Wisconsin.)