Ex-Wife and Shipmates Urge Police to Question Suffolk Strangler Over Lamplugh Case
The mysterious disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh in 1986 remains one of Britain's most notorious unsolved cases. Now, the ex-wife and former colleagues of serial killer Steve Wright, known as the 'Suffolk Strangler', are speaking out, urging authorities to question him about her fate. They describe bizarre behaviour and suspicious coincidences that link Wright to Lamplugh, whom he knew from their time working together aboard the luxury liner QE2.
Haunting Memories and Suspicious Encounters
Diane Cole, 71, who was married to Wright, fears he may have been involved in Lamplugh's disappearance. She recalls a disturbing memory from the summer of 1986, shortly after both women had left the ship. "He was supposed to be on the ship but he arrived loaded down with Christian Dior makeup," Diane told The Mirror. "Steve didn’t come off the QE2 until October 25th 1996. But he did turn up out of the blue at our bungalow in Halstead, Essex that summer. He stayed for a couple of hours, just for a cup of tea. It was in the height of summer when Suzy went missing."
Diane finds this particularly suspicious because Lamplugh was a beautician, and the timing aligns with her disappearance on July 28, 1986. "I'm very confused about it now because Suzy was a beautician. She'd come off the ship at the same time as me and he was a few months later. I think that's why I was suspicious. It is weird that Suzy knew him," she added.
Violent Tendencies and Strange Behaviour on the QE2
Diane describes Wright as a "monster" with violent outbursts, including attacking her with a knife or scissors and trying to strangle her. She also recalls an incident where he used her lipstick to scrawl offensive words on her cabin door. "I quickly wiped it off," she said, but not before other crew members saw it.
Terry Cassidy, 72, a former colleague who worked in the laundry on the QE2, corroborates this account. "It was all round the ship, everyone was talking about it," he recalled. "When he did that on Di’s cabin door there was all hell made over it. He was very strange, and very abrupt, he thought he was above everyone else, and didn’t really socialise."
Links to Suzy Lamplugh and Police Investigation
Both Diane and Terry confirm that Wright knew Lamplugh, who worked as a beautician on the ship. Terry remembered taking towels to the salon and chatting with her. "Wright definitely knew her. She was on the desk most of the time. I used to stand talking to her for five, ten minutes. She was very quiet but very, very, nice. She was always smiling at people. She was a lovely, lovely girl," he said.
Diane noted that Wright flirted with Lamplugh but never mentioned her afterwards. "He never mentioned her to me at all. He was a man of mystery. He’s like Jack the Ripper," she said, expressing her belief that police should re-examine him. "He needs to tell the families and give them closure if he's responsible. Maybe he realises he’s not getting out and might start confessing more. He should tell the truth for the sake of Suzy’s family. And for anybody else he's done in. It’s cruel. I definitely do think the police really need to look at him again because I know how bad he could be."
Wright's Recent Guilty Plea and Ongoing Fears
This week, Wright pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering 17-year-old Victoria Hall in Suffolk over 25 years ago, adding to his existing whole-life sentence for murdering five women in 2006. He is due to be sentenced for this sixth murder on Friday. Diane worries he may be behind "many others", including Lamplugh's case.
Terry echoed this concern, suggesting Wright could have fabricated the 'Mr Kipper' alias used in Lamplugh's disappearance. "The police should look at him again, he could have had the day off and phoned her and made up the ‘kipper’ thing. He's very clever that way. He got away with murder for years," he said.
Met Police Statement and Historical Suspect
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that their investigation into Lamplugh's disappearance and presumed murder remains active, with detectives from the Cold Case Homicide Team pursuing leads. In a statement, they noted: "Suzy Lamplugh was aged just 25 when she was reported missing on Monday 28 July 1986. She was last seen in Fulham, West London, at around 13:00hrs on that day. Suzy is presumed dead, and is believed to have been abducted and murdered. Her body has never been found."
Previously, the prime suspect was John Cannan, who died in custody last year. The Crown Prosecution Service found insufficient evidence to charge him, despite his resemblance to an e-fit of 'Mr Kipper'. Cannan was serving life for another murder and rapes.
Call for Justice and Closure
Diane, speaking from her home in the north east, emphasised the need for truth. "Working with her on QE2 is too much of a coincidence. Whose to say they were not working together and it was both of them? You’d need more than one person to get rid of a body," she speculated, urging Wright to confess if involved.
As the cold case continues, those who knew both Wright and Lamplugh hope renewed scrutiny will bring answers to a mystery that has haunted Britain for nearly four decades.
