Appeal: 20 Year Anniversary of John Luper Death

Appeal: 20 Year Anniversary of John Luper Death

News Hour

Friday 16 February 2024

The brother of murdered Leeds businessman John Luper has made an emotional plea for information on the 20-year anniversary of his death.

Mr Luper was 57 years old when he was killed during a robbery at his home in Sandmoor Drive, Alwoodley, on February 16, 2004.

Specialist ‘cold case’ detectives from West Yorkshire Police’s Major Investigation Review Team are continuing to investigate the unsolved murder with a particular focus on advances in forensic science that could bring new lines of enquiry from existing evidential material.

Mr Luper was attacked by a group of four or five masked intruders as he walked his dog near his neighbour’s driveway at about 11.30pm before being dragged back to his home. 

His wife, daughter and the family’s au pair were tied up with duct tape and left in an upstairs bedroom until the suspects eventually left the property. 

When they managed to free themselves, they found Mr Luper unconscious on the morning room floor. 

Police were called at 1.45am and despite attempts to resuscitate him he was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem examination showed he died as a result of asphyxiation. 

Jewellery and cash totalling around £100,000 were taken during the robbery. Among the pieces of jewellery was a rare Cartier watch that was platinum with vertical rows of diamonds either side of the face.

In an interview recorded by West Yorkshire Police for the 20-year anniversary, his brother Toby speaks about his loss and the family’s continued anguish.

In it he says: “As a brother, he was the best. We were like one finger. Totally different, but we were very close, and people used to say you couldn’t get a cigarette paper between us. He was loyal. He was a great family man. He would help anyone. He would go out of his way to help anyone, sometimes even at his own detriment.”

Speaking about those involved, he said: “They’re known, the people that did this must be known. The people that know them must have known what happened. It’s impossible not to.

“But hopefully what’s going on now with the police investigations, the continuing police investigations, for which the family are very grateful, will enable these people to be caught and brought to justice eventually, through the advances of DNA technology.

“Sometimes you read in the paper where people say I the forgive the attacker. I can’t forgive the attacker. I’ll never forgive. He’s given me a life sentence.

“And his family, his friends, his associates, they must know. They’re human beings. We may not have the same ethics or the same morals as I have, and my family have. But they’re human beings. If a similar thing happened to them, what would they do? How would they behave? Why should it, they’ve got away with this for 20 years.

“I would like justice. I would like justice for my mother who died on the very day he did. So, five years later. She cried every day. I don’t want sympathy, I want justice.

“And these people know. They know. So the person that did it knows. They’ll be having nightmares because there will be a knock on the door.

“I will never go away until these people are in the place they deserve to be.”

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