In July 1986, 25-year-old estate agent Suzy Lamplugh left her office in Fulham, London, for what should have been a routine property viewing.

The client’s name was written in the appointment diary as:

“Mr Kipper.”

She never returned.

Her white Ford Fiesta was later discovered abandoned several streets away. There were no signs of a struggle. No confirmed crime scene. And despite one of the largest missing person investigations in British history, Suzy Lamplugh has never been found.

In this episode of What They Hide: Hidden Crimes in Plain Sight, we examine the timeline of Suzy’s final known movements, the massive police investigation that followed, the emergence of convicted killer John Cannan as prime suspect, and the unanswered questions that continue to haunt the case nearly four decades later.

We also explore the wider impact of Suzy’s disappearance — from changes to lone-worker safety across Britain to speculation surrounding other violent offenders investigated over the years.

Because sometimes people do not disappear in darkness.

Sometimes they vanish in the middle of an ordinary afternoon.

Sources

Suzy Lamplugh Trust
Metropolitan Police – Suzy Lamplugh Appeal Archive
BBC News Archive – Suzy Lamplugh Case Coverage
The Guardian – Suzy Lamplugh Investigation Reporting
The Independent – John Cannan and Suzy Lamplugh Reporting
Crimewatch Archive – BBC Reconstructions and Appeals
Wikipedia – Disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh
Wikipedia – John Cannan
Contemporary newspaper archives from 1986–2024 including reporting from:
- The Times
- Daily Telegraph
- Daily Mail
- The Observer
- Bristol Post