Lucan is very possibly alive and he’s still a murder suspect
No, not the claim of a crackpot conspiracy theorist but the justification of the Met for keeping its files secret
HE HAS twice been declared legally dead in the 44 years since he went missing after the murder of his family’s nanny – but police have revealed they believe Lord Lucan is ‘still very possibly alive’.
Scotland Yard say the peer remains a suspect over the 1974 killing of Sandra Rivett and insist there is no ‘evidential or tangible proof’ for his death.
The earl has reportedly been spotted hundreds of times since he disappeared, but none have ever been substantiated.
Scotland Yard’s belief that Lucan – who would now be 83 – could still be alive came to light when the MoS applied for the release of files about the first ten years of the Met’s investigation into the murder and his disappearance under the Freedom of Information Act.
When the police refused to hand over the files, this newspaper complained to the Information Commissioner’s Office. In its response, which the watchdog ultimately agreed with, the Met argued that disclosure could hamper attempts to capture the peer and any accomplices.
The force stated: ‘Lord Lucan is still very possibly alive and remains an outstanding murder suspect.’
They argued that the High Court declarations that he was presumed dead ‘does not mean the murder case is closed’.
‘Although there has not been any proof of life there has neither been any indication of evidential/ tangible proof of Lord Lucan’s death,’ they said. ‘There is statistically a very reasonable chance that he would still be alive.’
They cited the fact that war criminals from the Second World War were still being brought to justice in their 90s as reason for keeping the case open.
They also said: ‘It has to be stressed that in order for Lord Lucan to get away as he did, it is very possible he would have received some help from other accomplices who may also still be alive and have information.’
Lucan went missing on November 7, 1974, after an intruder at the family home in Belgravia, Central London, bludgeoned Mrs Rivett to death and attacked the peer’s estranged wife. Lady Lucan later identified her attacker as her husband, and an inquest named him as Mrs Rivett’s killer. It is widely assumed Lucan, who had been battling for custody of his children, intended to murder his wife but killed Mrs Rivett in error. His bloodstained car was found in Newhaven, Sussex, hours later.
In 1999, the High Court declared Lord Lucan dead so his family could take control of his estate, but did not issue a death certificate, meaning the peer’s eldest son, George Bingham, could not take over the earldom. That situation changed in 2016 at a second High Court hearing, which said he should be presumed dead.
After that judgment the new Lord Lucan said he suspected his father had taken his own life. The missing peer’s widow Veronica, who died last year, also believed he killed himself.