Police investigating the 1986 disappearance of the estate agent Suzy Lamplugh have found no evidence after digging up the garden of the key suspect’s mother, Scotland Yard has said.

Detectives spent two weeks searching the garden and an area under a garage at a home in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, amid hopes of a breakthrough in the high-profile cold case.

But the Metropolitan police, which are leading the investigation, announced on Monday that no evidence was recovered and officers were preparing to leave the property.

Lamplugh, 25, disappeared in July 1986 after leaving her west London offices to meet a client known only as Mr Kipper. She was officially declared dead, presumed murdered, in 1994, but no one has been convicted.

The house was purchased from the mother of John Cannan, who was jailed for life in 1989 for the rape and murder of Shirley Banks, the attempted kidnapping of Julia Holman on the previous night, and the rape of a woman in Reading in 1986.

Police named Cannan as the prime suspect in Lamplugh’s presumed murder in 2002 and have questioned him several times. He has denied the allegation. Police obtained a warrant to search Cannan’s mother’s former home in Sutton Coldfield after receiving “new information” about Lamplugh’s disappearance.

An extensive search involving 15 officers, an archaeologist and ground-penetrating radar failed to find new evidence. The excavation included digging up parts of the garden and the rear of the property.

The Met thanked the current occupants of the property for their cooperation during the search.



DCS Richard Wood, who leads the homicide and major crime command, said: “This has been a landmark case for the Met, both in terms of its scale and complexity, and because of the huge sense of tragedy of a young woman’s life being cut short and the uncertainty around what happened to Suzy.

“I would like to pay tribute to Suzy’s family for their support during the Met’s investigations into her disappearance, as well as for their courage and strength through decades of sorrow.

“This latest line of enquiry must have been traumatic for them, as well as bringing them some hope that they might find out more about what happened to Suzy, but they have always been supportive of our efforts to make progress in the investigation.”

He added: “The case remains open, and the Met remains committed to bringing Suzy’s killer to justice. We will continue to assess any new information that comes in.”

Jim Dickie, the detective who led the investigation at the time of Lamplugh’s disappearance, said last month that the latest search was unlikely to produce a breakthrough.

He confirmed that officers had previously visited the home but had not excavated the garden. Speaking to Sky News, he said: “Hopefully they find her body, but my head tells me that is highly unlikely.”