UK UK - Suzy Lamplugh, 25, Fulham, 28 Jul 1986 #6

[ruby925]

My own experience of working at a bar in the 1980s, where takings and tips were increased hugely if a low cut blouse was worn is not scientific...but anecdotally is in line with SJL's 'window dressing' thoughts about men. JMO.
Re Steve Wright, I don't understand why he was ever ruled out as a suspect, and as I mentioned previously, he has this month been charged with another murder in 1999 plus a kidnapping.

 

[WestLondoner]

"I've been put in the front window because I'm beautiful and will draw in the punters!" or "I walked in to the interview and was instantly given the best job without even trying!"

That's literally almost exactly what she wrote! - “The company puts me in the window desk, as the most attractive female. That’s how it is, the most attractive female on display for any man to see.”

"The" window desk? There was only one? Which one was it?!

If for argument's sake one accepts that Cannan had something to do with, and is a serial killer (we only know of one murder), the chances of SJL knowing another are just insanely low.

 

[WestLondoner]

My own experience of working at a bar in the 1980s, where takings and tips were increased hugely if a low cut blouse was worn is not scientific...but anecdotally is in line with SJL's 'window dressing' thoughts about men.

Surely a big difference between giving a barmaid the glad eye over a pint and buying a house...?

 

[RichardKimble]

Surely a big difference between giving a barmaid the glad eye over a pint and buying a house...?

Bigger commission from an house than a pint.

 

[ruby925]

Surely a big difference between giving a barmaid the glad eye over a pint and buying a house...?

Sure but remember when women were draped all over the cars at the big car shows? Principle is the same JMO.

 

[WestLondoner]

Did it sell any cars though? Did anyone ever buy one car because it had a woman draped over it, in preference to another that didn't?

 

[jetsfanjohn]

Did it sell any cars though? Did anyone ever buy one car because it had a woman draped over it, in preference to another that didn't?

I seem to recall reading that British Leyland used smaller models to make their cars look bigger !!!!

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I seem to recall reading that British Leyland used smaller models to make their cars look bigger !!!!

As do all sorts of retailers from furniture and interiors companies and mail order catalogue. So the item looks large, generous, spacious. We're brainwashed to think 'models' are super tall but that's just usually high fashion clothing and catwalk.

Would a pretty woman be a reason to lure someone in off the street to discuss purchasing a 2 bed flat that in today's money would be around £1m or so? I sincerely doubt it. It'd be embarrassing and one would need a whole cover story and background story, hardly be worth it.

However, it could create a delusional fantasy or stalking situation in someone who is walking past day in day out and sees her sitting there, maybe waves and smiles. Remember the days when we knew 'everyone' in our local areas and local streets and got to know them just by default of traversing the same routes. Seems less so than ever now but it was a real thing. In that situation surely the person would be more likely to think hmm I'll hang around the same time she finishes work. They also might think hmm I'll book a fake viewing so as to get to spend some time with her.

 

[WestLondoner]

Would a pretty woman be a reason to lure someone in off the street to discuss purchasing a 2 bed flat that in today's money would be around £1m or so? I sincerely doubt it....However, it could create a delusional fantasy or stalking situation

The interesting thing is that Sturgis presumably took the former view (no point putting totty in the window, wouldn't work), whereas SJL herself seems to have assumed it would work, and does not appear to have been particularly put out by apparently being the totty.

 

[lee sumner]

To close this loop both the cellar & railway embankment need to be looked at properly.
This would put an end to the PoW as a possibility, while the police say the case is open, they’re not actually working on it.

if we were to search the POW, and prove SL was not there, then DV book becomes worthless. it might sound negative, but as long as SL remains missing. DV book has value. is this what DV was thinking all along.

 

[lee sumner]

The diary would be a fascinating read.

I always thought it was interesting how, very early on, the story got around that Sturgis had deliberately seated SJL at a window desk so passing men could letch at her. This claim always sounded quite unlikely to me. However much of a lecher someone might be, does anyone really go into an open-plan office, with no intention of buying a house, just to leer at the sales staff? Genuine question. I'm a bloke and I wouldn't do this; can anyone female confirm that this is a thing that happens?

Anyway, it turns out that this story originated with SJL herself. She made this claim in a diary entry, but AFAIK, there's no evidence for it at all. If you look at the Sturgis office, it's clear that with the possible exception of MG's, every desk is a window desk: it's an all-glass shopfront on a corner. It doesn't sound like any such letching would necessarily have been unwelcome.

Another dubious claim in her diary was that she went for an interview with Sturgis and was "hired on the spot". This is often misrepped as her speculatively walking into a branch and being hired. Actually she went for an interview at head office for something, and KP thought she'd do well in sales. Having established there was a vacancy in a suitable office, she was offered it. This is not much different from how any job gets filled.

The presence of Steve Wright as a contact in her diary is extremely interesting. What are the odds of being personally known to more than one serial killer, at the same time, in the same place?

i did not know steve wright was listed as a contact in her diary. wow, what are the odds, and according to conrad wright who is his father. he found a photo of steve on the the QE2 with other crew members including SL. i would love the see that photo out of curiosity.

 

[lee sumner]

That's literally almost exactly what she wrote! - “The company puts me in the window desk, as the most attractive female. That’s how it is, the most attractive female on display for any man to see.”

"The" window desk? There was only one? Which one was it?!

If for argument's sake one accepts that Cannan had something to do with, and is a serial killer (we only know of one murder), the chances of SJL knowing another are just insanely low.

putting SL upfront near window is the sturgis way of marketing. iam sure suzy loved being called the most attractive female member of staff.

 

[WestLondoner]

putting SL upfront near window is the sturgis way of marketing. iam sure suzy loved being called the most attractive female member of staff.

The point is there's no evidence they did this. The source is SJL herself and the way she phrased it there's no way it was said to her like that by anyone at Sturgis.

 

[Eastend Eagle]

This seems to happen a lot in many different situations. Someone shares their belief that something happened for XYZ reason, and soon it's stated as a fact despite only being an opinion; that's why Websleuths has such strict rules about stating opinions as facts.

Honestly, it feels like Suzy had a habit of doing the same thing DL frequently did: self-aggrandizing.

"I've been put in the front window because I'm beautiful and will draw in the punters!" or "I walked in to the interview and was instantly given the best job without even trying!"

I don't particularly like the way KP came across in DV's book, but I also don't see him being involved in Suzy's disappearance. If he was really at lunch with MG and another colleague that seems to make it virtually impossible anyway.

Steve Wright, on the other hand, sounds like a far more likely candidate given what we know.

Do we know who was the colleague other than MG that KP went to lunch with?

 

[WestLondoner]

if we were to search the POW, and prove SL was not there, then DV book becomes worthless. it might sound negative, but as long as SL remains missing. DV book has value. is this what DV was thinking all along.

Allegedly it has been searched, although it seems possible that the pub staff who said this thought DV's own visit was the search.

It does not necessarily follow that SJL went to the PoW instead of to 37SR (or some other viewing). Conceivably she could have gone somewhere else first then to the PoW. After 2pm in 1986, it would have been closed.

The likelihood of hiding a body in a place where only you could have hidden it seems roughly zero. As the PoW backs onto a rail embankment that seems likelier, and if she's not there then that eliminates the PoW (IMO).

 

[Eastend Eagle]

It's possible.

In the EARONS case in America, there was a letter sent referring to himself as 'James Dean'.
The EARONS turned out to be: Joseph JAMES DEANgelo .

In the BTK case, also in the USA, the killer sent a word puzzle including the solution 'DRADER'.
BTK turned out to be: Dennis RADER

Anyone know yet if KP had a middle name?

 

[WestLondoner]

Anyone know yet if KP had a middle name?

You'd laugh if it were 'Ian'...

 

[tes1984]

What's the source for Steve Wright being a contact in Suzy's diary?

 

[WestLondoner]

What's the source for Steve Wright being a contact in Suzy's diary?

Post 234 in this thread giving DL as the source.

 

[WestLondoner]

if we were to search the POW, and prove SL was not there, then DV book becomes worthless. it might sound negative, but as long as SL remains missing. DV book has value. is this what DV was thinking all along.

I assume good faith on DV's part and that he really does think there is some PoW connection. If this were investigated and turned out to be true, then he'd sell piles of the book to people wanting to know how he figured it out.