UK UK - Suzy Lamplugh, 25, Fulham, 28 Jul 1986 #8

[Lady Stoddart-West]

The quote from the CPS saying SL and JC's DNA were both in the same car was from a book by Christopher Berry Dee called Talking with Psychopaths - A Journey Into the Evil Mind.

The DNA link to Sandra Court was purely from this on Cannan's Wikipedia -

"Additionally, after a red Ford Sierra that Cannan had access to when Court was murdered was discovered at a north London scrapyard during the Lamplugh reinvestigations of the early-2000s, two hairs were found inside that matched the DNA of Court. Despite this, the DNA evidence was not strong enough to bring a prosecution against Cannan for her murder."

The citation on Wikipedia is from a Channel 5 documentary but I also found this from the Daily Echo newspaper from 12 November 2002 which seems to back it up.

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I’ve followed up & was told officially no link to SL via DNA.

 

[ctaylor]

I’ve followed up & was told officially no link to SL via DNA.

Sorry for any confusion! You'll all know the ins and outs of this more than me.

 

[Lady Stoddart-West]

Apologies for any confusion, I just haven't read through all the threads in full. The author quotes the CPS as confirming DNA of both SL and JC were in that car. That book was published in 2017 so maybe debunked since but if it had been debunked before that, he clearly shouldn't have published it with that in it.

No need to apologise - it’s incredibly confusing & unclear. Also if chain of custody ok, advances re: DNA mean the hair could be looked at again in theory. CBD published in good faith I believe.

 

[lee sumner]

There was no link to SL at all via DNA. Officially confirmed. What’s out there is inaccurate & misleading although I think may have been given in good faith at time.

i knew it. no link to SL via DNA.

 

[lee sumner]

No need to apologise - it’s incredibly confusing & unclear. Also if chain of custody ok, advances re: DNA mean the hair could be looked at again in theory. CBD published in good faith I believe.

prime suspect is well written, but there is info that is not accurate. i enjoyed reading it, but knew the BS in the book. i dont think CBD wrote BS info on purpose.

 

[WestLondoner]

I think the confusion arose from the concept of a partial match of say 60%. This doesn't mean there's a 60% chance SJL was in the car. It means DNA matching 60% of the population, including herself, was found, i.e. 42 million people could have left it there.

A 99.9% match to SJL would mean that she and 0.01% of the populace - 70,000 people - could have left it there.

 

[Lady Stoddart-West]

No need to apologise - it’s incredibly confusing & unclear. Also if chain of custody ok advances re: DNA mean the hair could be looked at again.

I think the confusion arose from the concept of a partial match of say 60%. This doesn't mean there's a 60% chance SJL was in the car. It means DNA matching 60% of the population, including herself, was found, i.e. 42 million people could have left it there.

A 99.9% match to SJL would mean that she and 0.01% of the populace - 70,000 people - could have left it there.

I see the logic for that confusion. DNA can now be much more definitive. Were they testing autosomal DNA etc? Mitochondrial DNA much more generic. I was told definitively no link to SL.

In theory, autosomal DNA could now be extracted from the hair/hairs & SL & SC definitively ruled in or out. Even without a root.