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

[lee sumner]

Hi all.


Random hypothesis alert...


So I've been thinking...


Suzy drove her company car to work, which she then used around 12.40pm to go to Shorrolds Road.

However, there was apparently another employee of Sturgis who had used the same company car earlier.

Which means that staff at Sturgis Fulham had access to that Fiesta.

So that means that SL must of had her flat keys on a separate key fob to the keys for the Fiesta.

Otherwise, she would in theory be allowing all other staff members to have access to her own flat.

So the question is; who was the staff member who drove the Fiesta BEFORE SL needed to use it for Shorrolds Road, and where did the other staff member drive the Fiesta to?

If the staff member for example had driven to a client in Stevenage Road, it may explain why the car was seen there as early as 12.45pm.

And so, when SL left to use the car, was it still parked in Stevenage Road? ergo, did SL have to use another Fiesta INSTEAD?

Did SL even drive "her" white Fiesta that day?

And could SL have been seen by BW driving another company car Fiesta?


Of course, if someone had planned to abduct and murder SL, then by having the Fiesta parked in Stevenage Road, then SL would have needed to use another car.

And if Sturgis had access to more than one white Fiesta, then this vehicle may have used to abduct SL, and the Stevenage Road Fiesta then acts as a decoy.

But how could 2 company vehicles be missing?

Well they can't.

Which means that SL may have been abducted in the Fiesta she was seen driving at 2.45pm by BW, and then the car driven back to Sturgis...as though the car had not even been used that day.

Because when the other Fiesta is then found in Stevenage Road, everyone assumes that SL must have used that car.


So IF the company had TWO white Fiesta cars, then someone who worked for Sturgis could have abducted SL, and then driven back to Sturgis, having already known that the other Fiesta had been driven and parked up in Stevenage Road earlier; ergo, once the Fiesta is seen in Stevenage Road at 12.45pm, it stays there for the entire duration.

The real killer using the OTHER white Fiesta to abduct SL, after she had to swap cars shortly after leaving Sturgis and realising that "her" car was still being used by her colleague.

I would look at ANY males that worked for Sturgis; not just in Fulham, but across the company.

Of course, IF the entire company only had ONE white Fiesta, then this entire hypothesis is nonsense and utterly pointless.

james calvert the office junior was the one who took SL car to show a client around a house on foskett rd. he was gone about 30 mins. calvert did not have a car of his own, so he could take a company car to a viewing. it was not unusual for calvert to take SL car to a viewing as he was a sturgis employee.

 

[lee sumner]

Also agree on everything but people just cannot see it, no one saw her leave the office, no one saw her get in her car in fact no one saw her again or can verify they definitively did, her purse in the car suggests she used it, 2 fiestas double parked?? Mg going to sr with female and later talking to hr is suggestive,so many many questionable moments and yet no one finds it believable

MG did not go SR with a female. why do people think this. as for MG. i think kes1972 is reaching. MG was concerned about SL as she works for him. i dont see anything suspicious about him. some people think MG looks like mr kipper, but i dont see it. MG has a round face and curly hair, and in my opinion looks nothing like mr kipper.

 

[Officer Dibble]

james calvert the office junior was the one who took SL car to show a client around a house on foskett rd. he was gone about 30 mins. calvert did not have a car of his own, so he could take a company car to a viewing. it was not unusual for calvert to take SL car to a viewing as he was a sturgis employee.

But another branch of Sturgis had a white Fiesta too.

 

[lee sumner]

We have established that someone involved with the disappearance of SL must have driven the white Fiesta and left it in Stevenage Road.

That's a factual piece of data from which to progress and expand upon.

Whilst it does not prove that it was actually the abductor who parked the car (it may have been an accomplice) we can suggest with a degree of confidence that it is more likely and probable that the person who parked the car was the same person who abducted SL.

Again, that's not a fact, but it's highly probable compared to the idea of more than one person having been involved.

So, let's continue...

When the car was left, where did the suspect go?

1) walked to a location within walking distance, without the use of a vehicle (they stayed within close proximity)
2) walked to a location within walking distance, and got into a vehicle and drove off.
3) walked to a location within walking distance, and got into a vehicle driven by an accomplice
4) walked to a location within walking distance and hailed a taxi in the street
5) walked to a cab/taxi office
6) walked to a bus stop
7) walked to a train station
8) they got into a vehicle parked within very close proximity to the Fiesta
9) they got into a vehicle parked within very close proximity to the Fiesta, where an accomplice was waiting.
10) they went into a property within very close proximity to the Fiesta.

At first glance, it would seem that any of the above are viable options.

However, when we add the fact that SL had to have physically been somewhere, then we can dismiss some of the above options as being highly improbable.

But let's put that on hold for a moment while we ask the next question; WHERE was SL at the time the abductor drove and parked the Fiesta in Stevenage Road?

Well, rather crucially, seeing as though the driver's door was unlocked and the passenger door was unlocked, then unless SL was sitting in the passenger seat and then got out of the car via the driver's door AFTER the abductor got out of the driver's seat first, then the abductor must have put SL somewhere else (other than the car) PRIOR to them having driven and parked the car in Stevenage Road.

And so, when we combine this fact with the list of 10 viable options for where the abductor may have gone after they parked the car, then it would seem highly probable that when the abductor exited the Fiesta, they must have gone to the location where SL was situated.

The next question is to ask; where could SL have been placed prior to the abductor driving her car and leaving it in Stevenage Road?

We need to now look at timeframe and work out the "logistics" of how far away from Stevenage Road could SL have been left between the time she was abducted, to the point the car was left in Stevenage Road.

But this we can look at in my next post...

mr kipper got into a vehicle parked up close to stevenage rd, then back tracked to the place where he has lamplugh held captive. this place where he took her was probably outside fulham, but not that far away. 2 mile radius of fulham. ditching SL car on stevenage rd was clever because it keeps the investigation focused on fulham, but he has lamplugh held captive just outside fulham. mr kipper has slipped through the net taking SL with him, but we dont know where he took her.

 

[kes1972]

how would H

how would HR know MG was looking for SL. if riglin seen MG looking through the window of 37SR he would not guess, that is the boss looking for one of his negotiators. MG could be a client checking the address out. so HR must have seen a couple outside 37SR.

He would know this because mg went ot 37sr twice and the second time spoke. With hr and could have intimated anything in the conversation.

 

[kes1972]

MG did not go SR with a female. why do people think this. as for MG. i think kes1972 is reaching. MG was concerned about SL as she works for him. i dont see anything suspicious about him. some people think MG looks like mr kipper, but i dont see it. MG has a round face and curly hair, and in my opinion looks nothing like mr kipper.

Well i will agree to differ, many people have mentioned in the past how similar the phoofit is (on these threads) and ( on these threads) it is mentioned he went to the address with colleague.

 

[kes1972]

how would H

how would HR know MG was looking for SL. if riglin seen MG looking through the window of 37SR he would not guess, that is the boss looking for one of his negotiators. MG could be a client checking the address out. so HR must have seen a couple outside 37SR.

The first one is to show up the second visit would be the connection, it may not even been expected that mg would face a neighbour, but over time mg may have visited the address before who knows.

 

[Rookie D]

james calvert the office junior was the one who took SL car to show a client around a house on foskett rd. he was gone about 30 mins. calvert did not have a car of his own, so he could take a company car to a viewing. it was not unusual for calvert to take SL car to a viewing as he was a sturgis employee.

Interesting.

So that must mean that SL had her flat keys on a separate key fob, because otherwise James Calvert would of had access to SL's flat if he borrowed the Fiesta that was driven in by SL that morning.

 

[kes1972]

Interesting.

So that must mean that SL had her flat keys on a separate key fob, because otherwise James Calvert would of had access to SL's flat if he borrowed the Fiesta that was driven in by SL that morning.

Was foskett road proven genuine viewing?
what time was the foskett road viewing?

 

[Rookie D]

But another branch of Sturgis had a white Fiesta too.

Ah, now that is interesting, because I was only speculating that Sturgis had another white Fiesta in use across one of its branches.

If that is indeed true, then THAT Fiesta is likely IMO to be the one that SL was seen driving by BW on the Fulham Palace Road, and THAT could possibly be the abduction vehicle.

So we know that Sturgis Putney were involved with the sale of SL's flat, and also that SL was looking to buy a flat.

And so IF the other Fiesta was used by the Putney branch, or another branch local to Fulham, then perhaps Mr Kipper was either a prospective client for her own flat, OR SL was the client herself, and the elusive Mr Kipper was an Estate Agent (a Sturgis employee) from another branch, who he was showing HER around a flat she was interested in.

IMO Sturgis seems to be the key to all of this, because IF the white Fiesta was indeed parked in Stevenage Road from 12.45pm until it was found; ergo, it wasn't moved at all once it was parked there, then BW must have seen SL driving another white Fiesta company vehicle.

There's only 2 possible options;

1) SL was seen driving a different white Fiesta used by Sturgis employees, including a Fiesta used by another branch of Sturgis, or,

2 SL's Fiesta did NOT stay parked in Stevenage Road for the entire duration, and it was only assumed that it hadn't been moved since 12.45pm

Let's not forget also that IF the white Fiesta was seen parked in Stevenage Road at 12.45pm, and there were multiple sightings of SL in Shorrolds Road just 5 minutes later, then the only way that's possible is if SL was given a lift to Shorrolds road in ANOTHER vehicle. i.e. SL couldn't have reached Shorrolds road from Stevenage road by walking there, in just 5 minutes.

And so SL either...

1) drove to Stevenage Road and then got a lift to Shorrolds Road, or,

2) she didn't drive to Stevenage road, as her Fiesta was used by another employee prior to her leaving the office, meaning she had to use another car, or was given a lift by someone else just after she left the office.

SL can't be in 2 places at the same time, and unless she ran to Shorrolds Road in heels and a long pencil skirt, then IF she drove to Stevenage Road BEFORE going to Shorrolds Road, then she must have been driven from Stevenage Road to Shorrolds Road by someone else.

 

[Rookie D]

So rather than choose to walk the 8 minute walk from the office to Foskett Road, Calvert chose to use the company vehicle to drive to the viewing. The same car that Suzy had driven to work that morning and the one found in Stevenage Road.
By the time he had walked into the side street, got into the car, adjusted the seat, and then drove to Foskett Road, and then found a place to park up etc... he could have got there on foot in just 8 minutes anyway, or 7 minutes if he was walking with purpose.

That's rather odd, unless he was running late.

I can understand it if the weather was poor, but it wasn't.

 

[Klclevi]

Hi If you read the AS book on page 28.

Calvert told the dectectives at about 9.45 he borrowed Susannahs Ford Fiesta to take a client to a house in Foskett Road. Returning 20 minutes later and parking the car in Whittingstall Road, a street off Fulham Road and opposite the Sturgis office.

'Because Calvert was a small man, he used the same driving position as Susannah, - the seat about four or five notches back from its most forward position. It was not unusual for him to borrow someone elses office car, because one of his duties was to photograph all Sturgis houses on the market in the area- and he did not have a car of his own.'

If you have not read the books I would really recommend doing so. (starting with Andrew Stephens publication in 1988 (The Suzy Lamplugh Story). This is where the bulk of this information is coming from as is is noted as the best source of information even still to this day. This books publication created huge controversy particularly for the L family (even though they commissioned it) as in the course of AS investigations it became apparent that her personal life was way more complicated than her family knew or chose to believe. This book was written with the cooperation of the police at the time, the journalists access to police files, SLs diaries and interviews with her friends , the L family and their own personal family letters.

This 1988 book was written PRE Cannan - this is very important to keep in mind.

There are also 100's of press articles from 1986 -87 detailing information from her friends and family that do not appear in the book.

Next book is

David Videcettes 'Finding Suzy' in 2021 ,
Ex Met Detective who dedicated 3 years of his life and his own funds to putting an alternative theory to the JC did it scenario.
He put a case to the MET about what he thought, but there are glaring gaps in this book that cannot be ignored (ie ignores BW sighting altogether) . Now his interviews with some of the Sturgis staff in this book are a little conflicting from what was conveyed in 86 - but that could be due to the passage of time.

You can find the books on Ebay ( but the 1988 one is available to read on the Internet Archive website (you have to check it out to read it)

Another book is called 'Prime Suspect' by Christopher Berry Dee and Robin Odell, who basically wrote this book about JC and his crimes, and had contact with him whilst he was in prison (after the SB murder). It does not focus on SL alot but it does provide a fair bit of insight into JCs character.

If anyone is quoting a source (ie Foskett Road )can you please reference it so we all know where it is coming from ? That would be lovely

I absolutely agree you have to follow what the evidence tells you. I feel that SLs backstory gives more information than what the factual evidence (AFAWK in the public domain) tell us because there is so little of it.

The MET would not have gone to the CPS with some p*poor file on JC, so we know that there is information that is not currently available on him that they have even though it was circumstantial. ( Now that JC has passed away I would have thought this would have become FOI but maybe not)

The thing I think about mostly is - why would someone want to make SL disappear - vanish. Nothing - not a trace of her. This does not speak to bumbling sedimentary JC (joke here) who left a trail of evidence in SB murder, DT in reading , JH etc. He could not even clean up his own flat or car . How does he commit a perfect crime in Fulham and get back to his mums by 30th July with all the props he would have needed to use to restrain and kill her, let alone the rest that goes along with that.

It speaks to something way much more close to home.

1. Whoever made these promises of a $30k input to a purchase of a property (as spoken to her parents about on the Sunday night 27.7.86)
2. The man she said was pestering her so much with phone calls and she was going to have lunch with him to say it was off ( trying to find source of this date of conversation) - Is this the same person watching her play tennis and in the CT Wine bar? Not sure
3. Pg 126 AS - wedding she attended with ex bF JH 5 weeks before she disappeared ( also reported in the NOTW in Sept 88).
He she actually tells him shes been seeing a married man and that he would not leave his wife.
4. Party at 54 Shorrolds road Xmas 85. Man there was on the fringes and extremely interested in SL. ( again hosted by a gemologist - nb possible connection to diamond dealer with BMW but its a little uncanny)
5. Is this actually one and the same person.!!

Sorry have made a few additions to original post

 

[kes1972]

Ah, now that is interesting, because I was only speculating that Sturgis had another white Fiesta in use across one of its branches.

If that is indeed true, then THAT Fiesta is likely IMO to be the one that SL was seen driving by BW on the Fulham Palace Road, and THAT could possibly be the abduction vehicle.

So we know that Sturgis Putney were involved with the sale of SL's flat, and also that SL was looking to buy a flat.

And so IF the other Fiesta was used by the Putney branch, or another branch local to Fulham, then perhaps Mr Kipper was either a prospective client for her own flat, OR SL was the client herself, and the elusive Mr Kipper was an Estate Agent (a Sturgis employee) from another branch, who he was showing HER around a flat she was interested in.

IMO Sturgis seems to be the key to all of this, because IF the white Fiesta was indeed parked in Stevenage Road from 12.45pm until it was found; ergo, it wasn't moved at all once it was parked there, then BW must have seen SL driving another white Fiesta company vehicle.

There's only 2 possible options;

1) SL was seen driving a different white Fiesta used by Sturgis employees, including a Fiesta used by another branch of Sturgis, or,

2 SL's Fiesta did NOT stay parked in Stevenage Road for the entire duration, and it was only assumed that it hadn't been moved since 12.45pm

Let's not forget also that IF the white Fiesta was seen parked in Stevenage Road at 12.45pm, and there were multiple sightings of SL in Shorrolds Road just 5 minutes later, then the only way that's possible is if SL was given a lift to Shorrolds road in ANOTHER vehicle. i.e. SL couldn't have reached Shorrolds road from Stevenage road by walking there, in just 5 minutes.

And so SL either...

1) drove to Stevenage Road and then got a lift to Shorrolds Road, or,

2) she didn't drive to Stevenage road, as her Fiesta was used by another employee prior to her leaving the office, meaning she had to use another car, or was given a lift by someone else just after she left the office.

SL can't be in 2 places at the same time, and unless she ran to Shorrolds Road in heels and a long pencil skirt, then IF she drove to Stevenage Road BEFORE going to Shorrolds Road, then she must have been driven from Stevenage Road to Shorrolds Road by someone else.

 

[kes1972]

It was reported two fiestas (white) were double parked at 37sr (just what i have read on previous threads) if true then maybe sl was asked by an other (sturgis employee) to go somewhere under some pretence in the other fiesta (how coerced into the other fiesta i will think on) and told her fiesta will be taken back to whittingstall but put in sr.

 

[kes1972]

It was reported two fiestas (white) were double parked at 37sr (just what i have read on previous threads) if true then maybe sl was asked by an other (sturgis employee) to go somewhere under some pretence in the other fiesta (how coerced into the other fiesta i will think on) and told her fiesta will be taken back to whittingstall but put in sr.

Maybe told customer had called and changed address to another more upmarket property in an area she was not so familiar with, this would require 2 people to achieve.

 

[Rookie D]

Hi If you read the AS book on page 28.

Calvert told the dectectives at about 9.45 he borrowed Susannahs Ford Fiesta to take a client to a house in Foskett Road. Returning 20 minutes later and parking the car in Whittingstall Road, a street off Fulham Road and opposite the Sturgis office.

'Because Calvert was a small man, he used the same driving position as Susannah, - the seat about four or five notches back from its most forward position. It was not unusual for him to borrow someone elses office car, because one of his duties was to photograph all Sturgis houses on the market in the area- and he did not have a car of his own.'

If you have not read the books I would really recommend doing so. (starting with Andrew Stephens publication in 1988 (The Suzy Lamplugh Story). This is where the bulk of this information is coming from as is is noted as the best source of information even still to this day. This books publication created huge controversy particularly for the L family (even though they commissioned it) as in the course of AS investigations it became apparent that her personal life was way more complicated than her family knew or chose to believe. This book was written with the cooperation of the police at the time, the journalists access to police files, SLs diaries and interviews with her friends , the L family and their own personal family letters.

This 1988 book was written PRE Cannan - this is very important to keep in mind.

There are also 100's of press articles from 1986 -87 detailing information from her friends and family that do not appear in the book.

Next book is

David Videcettes 'Finding Suzy' in 2021 ,
Ex Met Detective who dedicated 3 years of his life and his own funds to putting an alternative theory to the JC did it scenario.
He put a case to the MET about what he thought, but there are glaring gaps in this book that cannot be ignored (ie ignores BW sighting altogether) . Now his interviews with some of the Sturgis staff in this book are a little conflicting from what was conveyed in 86 - but that could be due to the passage of time.

You can find the books on Ebay ( but the 1988 one is available to read on the Internet Archive website (you have to check it out to read it)

Another book is called 'Prime Suspect' by Christopher Berry Dee and Robin Odell, who basically wrote this book about JC and his crimes, and had contact with him whilst he was in prison (after the SB murder). It does not focus on SL alot but it does provide a fair bit of insight into JCs character.

If anyone is quoting a source (ie Foskett Road )can you please reference it so we all know where it is coming from ? That would be lovely

I absolutely agree you have to follow what the evidence tells you. I feel that SLs backstory gives more information than what the factual evidence (AFAWK in the public domain) tell us because there is so little of it.

The MET would not have gone to the CPS with some p*poor file on JC, so we know that there is information that is not currently available on him that they have even though it was circumstantial. ( Now that JC has passed away I would have thought this would have become FOI but maybe not)

The thing I think about mostly is - why would someone want to make SL disappear - vanish. Nothing - not a trace of her. This does not speak to bumbling sedimentary JC (joke here) who left a trail of evidence in SB murder, DT in reading , JH etc. He could not even clean up his own flat or car . How does he commit a perfect crime in Fulham and get back to his mums by 30th July with all the props he would have needed to use to restrain and kill her, let alone the rest that goes along with that.

It speaks to something way much more close to home.

1. Whoever made these promises of a $30k input to a purchase of a property (as spoken to her parents about on the Sunday night 27.7.86)
2. The man she said was pestering her so much with phone calls and she was going to have lunch with him to say it was off ( trying to find source of this date of conversation) - Is this the same person watching her play tennis and in the CT Wine bar? Not sure
3. Pg 126 AS - wedding she attended with ex bF JH 5 weeks before she disappeared ( also reported in the NOTW in Sept 88).
He she actually tells him shes been seeing a married man and that he would not leave his wife.
4. Party at 54 Shorrolds road Xmas 85. Man there was on the fringes and extremely interested in SL. ( again hosted by a gemologist - nb possible connection to diamond dealer with BMW but its a little uncanny)
5. Is this actually one and the same person.!!

Sorry have made a few additions to original post

Absolutely excellent post, thank you kindly for your book references here.

I must admit that I haven't read any books on the case; primarily because virtually book has elements of embellishment and subjectivity that provides critical and dramatic inaccuracies for the sake of selling the book in the first place.

I remain sceptical about any book that proclaims to know the truth, but at the same time, if the data is correctly sourced and relayed contextually, then I can also see the benefits of using books for resource and reference purposes.

 

[kes1972]

Maybe told customer had called and changed address to another more upmarket property in an area she was not so familiar with, this would require 2 people to achieve.

They would maybe have to be work colleagues for sl to know they would return her keys or familiar at that office.

 

[kes1972]

Absolutely excellent post, thank you kindly for your book references here.

I must admit that I haven't read any books on the case; primarily because virtually book has elements of embellishment and subjectivity that provides critical and dramatic inaccuracies for the sake of selling the book in the first place.

I remain sceptical about any book that proclaims to know the truth, but at the same time, if the data is correctly sourced and relayed contextually, then I can also see the benefits of using books for resource and reference purposes.

So maybe, photographer was already at 37sr, sl turns up followed by an other work fiesta, jc says he needs to get back to the office and will drop off sl car, sl goes off in the other fiesta totally unaware of what was to come, a la dangerously driven fiesta spotted by van.

 

[Klclevi]

Absolutely excellent post, thank you kindly for your book references here.

I must admit that I haven't read any books on the case; primarily because virtually book has elements of embellishment and subjectivity that provides critical and dramatic inaccuracies for the sake of selling the book in the first place.

I remain sceptical about any book that proclaims to know the truth, but at the same time, if the data is correctly sourced and relayed contextually, then I can also see the benefits of using books for resource and reference purposes.

Hi Rookie D

Thankyou - Yep absolutely get that. I would not however put AS book in this category because he was not selling the book . The money went to the trust. Happy to reference you the articles again I have posted upthread about this.
If there is one book you should read it is this one.

No one here who has been on this case for years would say its the absolute holy grail, but its the closest thing to the factual police investigation at the time that is available.

I will put the articles up again for you to read so it gives you some context. This journalist was deeply hurt about the work he put into this book (and yes it revealed some truths about SL that her parents did not want to accept).

I would love to be able to speak to him in 2026 about his experience and his research.

 

[kes1972]

how would H

how would HR know MG was looking for SL. if riglin seen MG looking through the window of 37SR he would not guess, that is the boss looking for one of his negotiators. MG could be a client checking the address out. so HR must have seen a couple outside 37SR.

I mentioned later if the photograher was @37sr waiting sl turns up, no client because there never was one, another work fiesta or fiesta turns up double parks sl knows this person who then says client has gone to another address photograher drives her car to sr and sl is taken elsewhere unaware of what is going to happen.this explains man and woman outside 37 who was indeed sl and photographer or 2nd driver.