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It is 50 years today since the 7th Earl of Lucan disappeared. He fled after murdering Sandra Rivett (his children’s nanny) and then attacking his wife. He was found guilty of the murder in absentia in 1975.
There has been a programme on BBC2 all week featuring Neil Berriman, the son of Sandra Rivett (she gave him up for adoption after he was born). He only found out he was her son after his adoptive mother died.
He became convinced Lucan is still alive. With the help of journalist Glen Campbell, he tracked down a character in Australia he is sure is Lucan.
The fellow looks nothing like the missing Earl. His height, eyes and ears are all wrong.
I do have to wonder why Campbell and the BBC have indulged Berriman in this fantasy. The British and Australian police do not believe the man is Lucan. It obviously isn’t him.
Berriman’s partner and his daughter have expressed concern for his mental health. It is very sad to see him ruining his life.
The Lucan case is obviously of interest as a true crime story. I believe he did get away somewhere but I very much doubt he is alive now. Some things are best left in the past.
I only saw a small part of this but there is no doubt he is ruining his life and those close to him.
The more I know the less I understand.
I have not seen the programme and I have to say it’s not a story I’m familiar with beyond the very basics but looking it up Lucan does seem to a be a grimly fascinating character.
On Berriman, I can understand that being born into that sort of situation then finding the truth out later must take its toll but this seems very sad. I suppose it’s not absolutely impossible that he’s still out there but if he hasn’t been uncovered by now then he never will be.
True crime is massive business these days but this appears to be the wrong angle to take by the makers from what is being said here.
Probably HDLG, but you couldn’t say it as a fact he is long dead. I didn’t
watch the programme but I think it’s unlikely that the man is Lucan. If
the police thought there was a possibility, a simple swab would clarify
it 100%.Spoiler alert in case anyone hasn’t watched the last episode.
The old man isn’t Lucan. Berriman confronted him and he denied it. He later agreed to be interviewed by the programme’s producer.
During the interview he said he left London in 1966. He said he spent time in Toronto, during which time he became an actor and appeared in some sort of drag act revue in a theatre in 1969.
Glen Campbell found the details of the show online. He established the show’s director is still alive. He contacted him and showed him a picture of the old man “Lucan”. Straightaway the director said it was Peter Jason, an actor in the show.
If he is right (and what motive does he have to lie) then the man cannot possibly be Lucan. He was not in Canada in 1969, five years before the murder.
This was sufficient for Campbell to realise they have got the wrong man. Berriman still seems determined to believe it is Lucan.
I hope he can find some sort of inner peace. I suspect he is right that Lucan got away but the chances are he is dead now. There is no point in trying to find an 89 year old man.
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