The ex-wife of Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright has called on him to confess to the murder of missing estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, as police review the 22-year-old unsolved case. Diane Cole, 53, from Hartlepool, said she saw Wright talking to Miss Lamplugh on the QE2 cruise liner, where both worked, and believes he may have been her killer.
Wright, 49, was convicted today of murdering five prostitutes in Ipswich in 2006 and sentenced to life in prison. The judge, Mr Justice Gross, said it was right he should spend the rest of his life behind bars. As he was led away, Scotland Yard detectives announced they would review the Lamplugh case, which has remained unsolved since her disappearance in 1986.
Mrs Cole said she checked her diaries and discovered Wright had shore leave around the time of Miss Lamplugh's disappearance on July 28, 1986. She recalled seeing him talking with Miss Lamplugh on the ship and described him as a 'Jekyll-and-Hyde character' who was violent towards her. 'I really want him to tell us if he killed her for my peace of mind - for her family's sake,' she said.
Miss Lamplugh, 25, vanished after going to meet a client she had noted as 'Mr Kipper' in Fulham, west London. Mrs Cole said Wright used the word 'kipper' as slang for face. Former QE2 crew members also said Wright tried to befriend Miss Lamplugh and would 'sniff around' female staff.
Miss Lamplugh's father, Paul, said police had kept him informed of developments and were in touch with Suffolk police. The relatives of other murdered women have also asked whether Wright could be responsible for their deaths.
