Cold case detectives probing the murder of missing estate agent Suzy Lamplugh are convinced they know who killed her, but face a race against time to solve the 40-year riddle. Scotland Yard detectives today said John Cannan remained the 'prime suspect' in the 1986 abduction after years of eliminating other suspects, including 'Suffolk Strangler' Steve Wright. Convicted rapist Cannan died in 2024 in his cell at HMP Full Sutton, aged 70, taking his secrets to the grave.
Following Cannan's death, detectives sifted through his prison writings hoping for clues to Suzy's disappearance. Despite no new evidence and a lack of forensics, officers still believe circumstantial evidence makes Cannan the most likely suspect. In 2002, Scotland Yard publicly named Cannan as Suzy's killer, but the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to charge him.
Investigation to be wound down
Detectives say they will begin winding down the 40-year investigation, one of the biggest missing persons inquiries in UK history, and classify it as 'inactive' over the next year. They have just months to trace 30 people who may have key information about the murder, in the hope of finding Suzy's body.
In a last-ditch plea for help, Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Teresa Foster said: 'Please help us find Suzy's body.' Referring to Cannan, she added: 'I think John Cannan is a very good suspect. I think he's a prime suspect. He has been a focus of the investigation, but he has not been the only focus. There have been other names put forward over the last few years, but again, each of them have been eliminated from the investigation.'
Forensic reviews and potential advances
On the 40th anniversary of Suzy's murder, police revealed they reviewed all DNA evidence from the abandoned white Ford Fiesta found less than a mile from where she was last seen. Seat tapings, fibres and DNA recovered during a 2018 forensics review were sent for mitochondrial testing in the USA. It failed to identify any suspects. Detectives hope advances in forensic testing and artificial intelligence may help crack the case. A smudged fingerprint on the rearview mirror could not be matched to any DNA profile, including Cannan's.
Digs have been carried out across the UK, including a 2018 excavation of Cannan's mother's home in Sutton Coldfield, but no trace of Suzy has ever been found. Detectives also reviewed evidence from a dredge of the Grand Union Canal in London as part of the Alice Gross murder probe, but nothing significant was found.
Steve Wright ruled out
Police have ruled out 'Suffolk Strangler' Steve Wright as a suspect in Suzy's disappearance. The 68-year-old serial killer, serving a whole-life tariff for murdering six women, was said to have worked with Suzy on cruises in the 1980s. However, detectives spoke to 17 of his crew mates who denied any relationship, and police say Wright was on board ship on the day Suzy vanished, docking at Southampton at 4.30pm – hours after she was reported missing. DCI Foster said: 'There's nothing to indicate any sort of relationship between [Suzy and Wright]. So we ruled him out.'
Family and legacy
Suzy's daylight disappearance made headlines globally and changed how British workplaces approach lone working and personal protection. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, set up to tackle stalking, was born. DCI Foster said officers remain 'haunted' by the case. She said: 'It does frustrate us. We've never found who did it. I think everybody who lives in London can think, "That could have been me".' She added: 'Our priority is finding Susan. We are 40 years on, so if it wasn't Cannan and if it was somebody else, it's likely they would be dead too. So for us and for Susan's family, it is about finding her remains.'
In 2024, Cannan wrote to the Mirror insisting he did not kill Suzy, claiming an alibi that he was in Birmingham treating his mother to lunch on the day she vanished. He accused police of prejudice and diverting attention from themselves.
