LORD Lucan vanished over fifty years ago, just before his children’s nanny named Sandra Rivett was murdered and hidden in a Belgravia townhouse’s basement.
The search for the aristocrat has continued since Sandra’s body was discovered on November 7, 1974, and a new BBC documentary entitled Lucan dives into the bizarre mysteries of the case.
Lord Lucan married Veronica Duncan in 1963
Lord Lucan developed a love for gambling
Born into luxury
Lord Lucan, whose real name was Richard John Bingham, was born on December 18, 1934, into a life of luxury.
His great-great-grandfather ordered the Charge of the Light Brigade, a botched military strategy that resulted in several British casualties during the Crimean War.
Lucan’s father was a socialist peer who served in Clement Attlee’s government, which was the parliament responsible for sweeping reforms including the establishment of the NHS and the renationalisation of Britain’s railways.
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Lucan went to Eton and served in the Coldstream Guards, before briefly working at Brandt’s merchant bank in London.
He was known for living a lavish lifestyle, that reportedly put him in the running to play 007 himself, James Bond on screen.
Lucan was an avid gambler, a habit he developed after winning a prize worth £26,000 despite having an annual salary of £500.
The huge win earned Lucan the nickname “Lucky”.
Troubled marriage
Lord Lucan married Veronica Duncan in 1963, despite her middle-class background.
Reportedly, he had previously refused to talk to people who “didn’t have proper shoelaces”.
The couple had three children together, but the marriage quickly fell apart.
Veronica suffered from postnatal depression after giving birth and she even claimed that her soon-to-be ex-husband was abusive.
Lucan tried to have his wife committed to a psychiatric hospital, leading to their eventual split in 1973.
A fierce custody battle followed and Lucan began to claim that Veronica was unable to raise his children.
His wife was ultimately the victor in their legal battle, leaving the aristocrat to pay a slew of huge legal bills which had piled up during the feud.
Veronica and Lucan divorced after just ten years of marriage
A shocking murder
Almost a year after the couple split, Veronica, who kept the title Lady Lucan, stumbled into a pub named Plumber’s Arm.
When she walked into the pub on November 7, 1974, Veronica was drenched in blood and was reportedly screaming for “help”.
She also said: “I have just escaped from being murdered.
“He’s in the house.
“He’s murdered the nanny”
According to Lady Lucan, she had sent Sandra Rivett, her nanny, into the basement at around 9 pm.
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She had grown suspicious when Sandra didn’t return, so Veronica decided to venture downstairs.
Veronica claimed that she was attacked by her husband who admitted to attacking their estranged couple’s nanny.
After being persuaded to stop the attack by his former wife, Lucan fled. A subsequent police search of the house found Sandra’s body in a sack, alongside the weapon used to kill her.
Lucan’s life on the run
Lucan’s last known whereabouts was in Uckfield, Sussex, when he stayed with his friend Ian Maxwell-Scott on the night of the alleged attack.
The aristocrat told his friend that he had run into Veronica’s home because he saw an intruder attacking his wife in the basement.
His final known sighting was on the following morning of November 8, 1974, when he left his friend’s home.
Just a year later, in June 1975, an inquest found that Lucan had murdered Sandra.
It took them just 31 minutes to reach the verdict, which was based on Veronica’s testimony and the fact that the tires of Lucan’s car had traces of Sandra and Veronica’s blood.
A length of pipe, similar to the weapon used by the killer, was also found in the car.
A friend of the aristocrat also told police that Lucan had claimed that murdering his wife would save him from bankruptcy, which he believed he was facing after the couple’s legal battle and a string of heavy gambling losses.
Lucan’s £26,000 had proven to be a one-off and his nickname of “Lucky” had become more ironic than complimentary.
Lucan’s son, Lord George, became the eight Earl Lucan
Lucan’s mystery disappearance
Lucan was never found and charged.
Some people believed he may have taken his own life, while others claimed that his wealthy friends may have helped him flee the country.
He has been reportedly seen in various countries, including India, Australia, and Mozambique, but his ex-wife believed these reports were untrue.
Veronica believed that Lucan had instead thrown himself into the Channel.
In 2016, Lucan’s son inherited his father’s title after he applied for a death certificate under the Presumption of Death Act, making him the eighth Earl in his family’s line.
A BBC documentary
The bizarre case will be explored in a BBC documentary series entitled Lucan, which will air on November 6, 2024.
Lucan is a three-part series that will follow Sandra’s son, a Hampshire builder named Neil Berriman, who spent much of his life unaware of the case.
He had been put up for adoption as a baby and only learned of his mother’s identity at the age of forty.
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