The main suspect in the disappearance and murder of Suzy Lamplugh "has no reason to deny his involvement" in the case, an ex-detective has said after it emerged that the accused is on his deathbed in prison.
David Videcette, a former Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism detective, insists that John Cannan never knew Ms Lamplugh and is innocent of her killing.
Ms Lamplugh disappeared in Fulham, west London, in July 1986, aged 25. Her body has never been recovered. Cannan, 68, was named by Scotland Yard in 2002 as its chief suspect in the case.
Cannan, already serving a life sentence for a separate murder and rape, denies any involvement. He has been suffering from ill health for several years and would have been eligible for parole this year.
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed to The Independent a report that Cannan has been receiving palliative care at HMP Full Sutton, meaning he could be close to death - as Ms Lamplugh's case remains unsolved.
The news prompted Ms Lamplugh's brother Richard to issue a fresh appeal to Cannan, in which he urged the convicted murderer to tell police what he knew.
Cannan, however, "never met Suzy, let alone knew her," according to Mr Videcette, who has spent years investigating the case. "He's [Cannan] admitted culpability in several criminal cases," Mr Videcette told The Independent.
"On some occasions, he has disputed that he was the only person involved. However, in the Suzy Lamplugh case, he has always denied any involvement and has maintained so for many years."
He added: "If he is receiving palliative care and may be about to die, there would be no reason for him to deny his involvement in this case at such a late stage in his life."
The murder of Ms Lamplugh has been one of the country’s most well-known cold cases since she was declared dead, presumed murdered, in 1994.
The estate agent went missing after leaving her office in west London to meet a client known as "Mr Kipper", to show him around a flat on Shorrolds Road.
Her car, a white Ford Fiesta, was found abandoned in Stevenage Road, Fulham, and police believe she was abducted and murdered.
Cannan, jailed for life in 1989 for the rape and murder of Bristol newlywed Shirley Banks, was first linked to Ms Lamplugh's case due to his resemblance to an e-fit released of a man who a witness said they saw outside the property with Ms Lamplugh.
Mr Videcette, who has written a book on the case, Finding Suzy, has accused the Met of making significant "errors and assumptions" during their investigation into the disappearance and murder.
"I've uncovered a line of enquiry relating to personal belongings that Suzy had lost prior to her disappearance, and have uncovered new significant witnesses from 1986 that the police have never spoken to and who were ignored at the time," he said.
"I believe Suzy's disappearance is linked to her lost property - crucially there are key items of her lost property which the Metropolitan Police admit to recovering shortly after she'd disappeared."
He added: "Sadly, because the police later became completely and utterly fixated on John Cannan in subsequent re-investigations, they have never been able to see past their own, the media's and the public's fascination with him.
"The police have been forever hamstrung by their public naming of him as their "only suspect", an obsession which has tragically led to their inability to see the real answers in this case.
"I've supplied the police with all of my evidence, documenting the answers and where I believe Suzy's body has been concealed. But they refuse to act upon it, on the basis that John Cannan is their one and only suspect."
Searches were carried out at a property in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, in 2018 and on land near Drakes Broughton in Worcestershire in 2019, but Ms Lamplugh's body has never been recovered.
The Met said it is committed to securing justice for Ms Lamplugh’s family and that its investigation remains ongoing.
Detective chief inspector, Rebecca Reeves, the senior investigating officer, said: “We would urge anyone who believes they might know something about what happened to Suzy all those years ago to come forward.
“Whether you saw something that you thought was unconnected at the time, or you felt under pressure to protect someone you knew – it is not too late.
“The passage of time has not weakened our determination to seek justice and get the answers that the Lamplugh family continue to wait for.
“They have always been supportive of our efforts to make progress in the investigation, and they have shown remarkable strength despite the immense sadness they have endured over the years.”
