UK UK - Suzy Lamplugh, 25, Fulham, 28 July 1986

[Pinkizzy]

I think the tennis appointment wasn't given much relevance because by then Suzy had already been missing for several hours. I think DV may be right in thinking the diary was important. There's nothing salacious in my pocket diary, but if it was lost, I'd be keen to get it back as it holds other personal info. Based on this, I think it's likely the last place Suzy went voluntarily was the pub.

The Suffolk strangler was at one point a pub landlord and I think I read an article saying he had been an acting pub landlord. Will try to find the link. What are the chances of him already knowing Suzy from their time on the cruise ships and also being the one to return her missing items though?

That said, DV doesn't suggest that the Suffolk Strangler was the pub landlord. I think either an accident inside the pub or Suzy was abducted and her friend's sighting of her could well have been quite accurate.

Steve Wright worked as a pub landlord after he left the QE2. He was working on the ship during 1986, however his wife says he was on shore leave at the time of Suzy's disappearance.

 

[Commoner]

Did any of her friends own a car similar to Suzy's

IIRC all the Sturgis staff cars were white Fiestas so several people Suzy knew would be driving the same. As colleagues were out with clients, they would be driving round and perhaps parking in exactly the places that white Fiestas were seen.

I haven't got a the earlier books- question for those whomhave read it - was there any information about where her colleagues were that day? Were they showing houses in the same streets?

 

[WiseOwl]

Sadly after 35 years not many people know the details of the initial enquiries (including the current Met team) which is probably why the current team are only interested in their prime suspect.
I’m sure the original team back in 1986 checked out Suzy’s friends, I don’t recall the tennis appointment being given much space in the Stephen book.
I do believe that DV is right when he says Suzy invented Mr Kipper to get out of the office. So you have to then think Suzy never went to Shorrolds Road. She could have met someone near Stevenage Road and the perpetrator then put her car back after the abduction. This would account for the apparent different times the car was seen there.
DV’s book opens up a lot of alternatives, one big question has to be “is the acting pub Landlord telling the truth?
What’s everyone’s view on this?

DV's book does indeed open up a lot of alternatives. DV himself believes all the evidence points to Suzy leaving her office at 12.40 and going to the pub to collect her things, and this of course implies that the acting landlord had something to do with her disappearance. In the book Clive does come across as being a little bit strange, eccentric even, and he does mention some odd things such as the 2 phone calls that were made to the pub on that Monday afternoon. However, I personally don't believe Clive was responsible for whatever happened that day. I've mentioned it before but I don't understand why he would drive Suzy's car back to Putney and leave it there - why not drive it in the opposite direction as far away as he could?

Another thing I noticed in the book is that DV said the pub was shut in the morning for a stock take, and might possibly been shut all day. DV asks Clive about the chequebook and diary and he says he phoned the bank up in the morning and later got a call back. He then says ' I got a phone call back, before we opened, saying she'll be round to pick them up later'.

So Clive is saying the pub was open, presumably sometime in the afternoon. If this is true, how could he have had enough time to have anything to do with Suzy's disappearance?

 

[Commoner]

So Clive is saying the pub was open, presumably sometime in the afternoon. If this is true, how could have had enough time to have anything to do with Suzy's disappearance?

Especially as the sighting of Suzy which IMO is most likely to be reliable - because it was by someone who actually knew her - was c14:30-14:45 heading west out of Fulham

Also, back then, pubs had different limits to opening times, and lunchtime opening was IIRC 11:00-15:00. So if the pub did open, he would have been absent during one of the times of day it would have been most conspicuous

 

[WiseOwl]

Especially as the sighting of Suzy which IMO is most likely to be reliable - because it was by someone who actually knew her - was c14:30-14:45 heading west out of Fulham

Also, back then, pubs had different limits to opening times, and lunchtime opening was IIRC 11:00-15:00. So if the pub did open, he would have been absent during one of the times of day it would have been most conspicuous

Yes, back in 1986 pubs were open 11am - 3pm, then closed until 5.30pm when they re-opened for the evening.

I would imagine the Prince of Wales owners would want the pub to open up asap after the stock take, so at a guess maybe they opened around 1pm?

 

[Crusader21]

Jmo, perhaps serial stalker John Canaan, abducted Suzy in Whittingstall Road, immediately, when she left Sturgis.

Quickly and quietly overpowering her and driving her away in her own car, to a local property he had the use of?

Perhaps then after an attack (which he did before and after July 1986), he may have got a traumatised and still captive Suzy, to drive him this time to another particular location. Maybe taking him to his car? Meaning Barbara Whitfield saw them both, nearly 2 hours later driving (Hammersmith direction) down the Fulham Palace Road?

This claim was made at the time - Mum-of-three reveals 'Suzy Lamplugh prime suspect Mr Kipper' says he targeted her three days before estate agent disappeared

 

[Pinkizzy]

IIRC all the Sturgis staff cars were white Fiestas so several people Suzy knew would be driving the same. As colleagues were out with clients, they would be driving round and perhaps parking in exactly the places that white Fiestas were seen.

I haven't got a the earlier books- question for those whomhave read it - was there any information about where her colleagues were that day? Were they showing houses in the same streets?

Was Sturgis and sons part of a chain of estate agents?

 

[Pinkizzy]

Were there any viewings for the house on Stevenage Rd that day? The owner and Sturgis office staff would know, wouldn't they?

 

[rls11]

Were there any viewings for the house on Stevenage Rd that day? The owner and Sturgis office staff would know, wouldn't they?

IIRC it was actually WJ (the lady who reported seeing the car parked from lunchtime) whose house was on the market with Sturgis, and her and her husband both say they didn't have a viewing that day...

 

[Terryb808]

Jmo, perhaps serial stalker John Canaan, abducted Suzy in Whittingstall Road, immediately, when she left Sturgis.

Quickly and quietly overpowering her and driving her away in her own car, to a local property he had the use of?

Perhaps then after an attack (which he did before and after July 1986), he may have got a traumatised and still captive Suzy, to drive him this time to another particular location. Maybe taking him to his car? Meaning Barbara Whitfield saw them both, nearly 2 hours later driving (Hammersmith direction) down the Fulham Palace Road?

This claim was made at the time - Mum-of-three reveals 'Suzy Lamplugh prime suspect Mr Kipper' says he targeted her three days before estate agent disappeared

In the Zapped thread I highlighted that we have two options:

1. The DV scenario that she made it to the PoW and never left. Logically Suzy planned to get her things back and used Mr Kipper as a ruse to get out of the office.
2. Suzy never made it to the PoW and was kidnapped at her car in Whittingstall Road. This second option is exactly what JC does. If you read CBD’s book “Prime Suspect” JC does this in broad daylight.

The problem with option 2 is timing, JC was supposed to be home in Sutton Coldfield by 5.00pm. If you stretch this to 8.00pm it’s still tight.

 

[Officer Dibble]

IIRC all the Sturgis staff cars were white Fiestas so several people Suzy knew would be driving the same. As colleagues were out with clients, they would be driving round and perhaps parking in exactly the places that white Fiestas were seen.

I haven't got a the earlier books- question for those whomhave read it - was there any information about where her colleagues were that day? Were they showing houses in the same streets?

IMO you make a very valid point. JMO MOO

 

[Officer Dibble]

Jmo, perhaps serial stalker John Canaan, abducted Suzy in Whittingstall Road, immediately, when she left Sturgis.

Quickly and quietly overpowering her and driving her away in her own car, to a local property he had the use of?

Perhaps then after an attack (which he did before and after July 1986), he may have got a traumatised and still captive Suzy, to drive him this time to another particular location. Maybe taking him to his car? Meaning Barbara Whitfield saw them both, nearly 2 hours later driving (Hammersmith direction) down the Fulham Palace Road?

This claim was made at the time - Mum-of-three reveals 'Suzy Lamplugh prime suspect Mr Kipper' says he targeted her three days before estate agent disappeared

To me, THIS revelation is a huge clue and a huge occams razor type scenario. The probability of a link here is IMO very likely.

 

[Terryb808]

To me, THIS revelation is a huge clue and a huge occams razor type scenario. The probability of a link here is IMO very likely.

Unfortunately if JC is the perpetrator it’s not likely he’ll ever admit it and let on where Suzy’s body is.
He seems to prefer water over burial as it’s less hard work. If he got Suzy to drive him in the direction of Hammersmith that afternoon he would have had to restrain or place her body in his own car. Then abandon her car in Stevenage Road before driving to Sutton Coldfield.
In this case disposal could be anywhere on route.
According to DV he traveled back to Sutton Coldfield by train, so to DV he’s not in the frame. Other accounts have him drive back in the red Ford Sierra, while one account has him drive back in the company of the hostel cook.
So lots of options.

 

[Terryb808]

IIRC all the Sturgis staff cars were white Fiestas so several people Suzy knew would be driving the same. As colleagues were out with clients, they would be driving round and perhaps parking in exactly the places that white Fiestas were seen.

I haven't got a the earlier books- question for those whomhave read it - was there any information about where her colleagues were that day? Were they showing houses in the same streets?

This is an excellent point, I wonder how many female Sturgis staff were out in white Ford Fiestas that Monday and could Barbara W have seen one of them?

 

[Bickles]

Cannan was seen in Birmingham on the day Suzy went missing. His mother was with him and police spoke with several others who confirmed this...

 

[WiseOwl]

This is an excellent point, I wonder how many female Sturgis staff were out in white Ford Fiestas that Monday and could Barbara W have seen one of them?

According to DV's book, Sturgis had a dozen branches across central south-west London.

When Barbara came forward with her sighting of Suzy, did the police check with the other Sturgis estate agents to see if any of their staff had been in the Fulham Palace road area around 2.30 that afternoon?

 

[Pinkizzy]

Results | Between 25th Jul 1986 and 25th Jul 1986 | Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Gazette | Publication | London, England | Location | British Newspaper Archive

A few Sturgis properties may be for sale in this paper

 

[Terryb808]

Cannan was seen in Birmingham on the day Suzy went missing. His mother was with him and police spoke with several others who confirmed this...

This is an important point, DV didn’t confirm this and it would have been to his advantage. Was this from a book?

 

[Crusader21]

Cannan was seen in Birmingham on the day Suzy went missing. His mother was with him and police spoke with several others who confirmed this...

Is there a link please to this claim?

 

[Bickles]

I have no link; it was stated in DV's book.