Evidence linking a jailed killer to the unsolved murder of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh will be examined as part of his bid for parole.
Sex killer John Cannan, 68, has now served his minimum 35 years for the 1987 murder of newlywed Shirley Banks and is due before a panel next month.
Rule changes in the wake of the John Worboys scandal mean the Parole Board must consider allegations that have not resulted in prosecution for the inmate if they find a factual basis for them.
In 2002 police took the highly unusual step of naming Cannan as the man who killed Suzy after the Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.
Estate agent Suzy went missing aged 25 in 1986 after going to meet a man called “Mr Kipper” to show him a house in Fulham, South West London. Cannan is said to have used the name Kipper in jail and resembles a photofit of a man seen with Suzy on the day she vanished.
He has been interviewed about Suzy at least four times but has always denied involvement to the police.
Police believe they presented a “strong circumstantial” case to the CPS but the decision not to prosecute followed a review by specialists at the Treasury Counsel.
Suzy’s parents Paul and Diana died not knowing what happened to her.
But while the CPS must prove a case beyond reasonable doubt, the Parole Board evidential test threshold is lower, resting on the balance of probabilities. Ex-Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Jim Dickie said: “The Parole Board would be taking a big risk if they clear Cannan for release back into the community.
“If he gets the opportunity to offend again he will take it. He has a horrendous profile of offending over 40 years.”
Mr Dickie said he suspects Cannan is also responsible for the unsolved murder of Bournemouth insurance clerk Sandra Court, 26, found dead in a ditch on the Avon Causeway in 1986.
Evidence linking the killer to Suzy’s murder will be included in a dossier for the Parole Board to consider.
He is serving three life terms for the 1987 murder, the attempted kidnap of a businesswoman and a rape. A whole-life term was replaced by a 35-year minimum which ended this month.
Cannan was gravely ill in June but has improved and it is understood he is no longer being treated on the medical wing of Full Sutton jail in East Yorkshire.
If his bid for a move to open conditions is successful, it would pave the way for his release in around 18 months.
The Parole Board said: “Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public.”
Victims of black-cab rapist Worboys successfully challenged a decision to free him after 10 years of his sentence after the High Court ruled a full picture of his offending had not been considered.
