A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering wealthy businessman John Luper, 57, during a robbery at his home in an affluent suburb of Leeds in February 2004.
West Yorkshire Police said on Wednesday that they had arrested a man in Bradford on suspicion of murder. He was taken into custody for interview.
Mr Luper was attacked by a group of masked men as he walked his dog near his home on Sandmoor Drive, Alwoodley, on the evening of 16 February 2004. He was dragged into his detached family house, where his wife, daughter and an au pair were tied up with duct tape and left in an upstairs bedroom. They later freed themselves but found Mr Luper unconscious downstairs.
Police were called at 1.45am and Mr Luper was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem examination revealed he died from asphyxia.
The robbers took jewellery, clothes and cash totalling around £100,000, including a rare platinum and diamond Cartier watch, one of only four sold in the UK at that time.
Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Damian Roebuck said: “Our investigation team are firmly committed to doing everything we can to get justice for John Luper and his family. This includes the analysis of forensic materials which I can confirm has led to today’s arrest.” He urged anyone with information about inquiries into Mr Luper’s business dealings at the time of the murder to come forward.
