Fresh appeal and £20k reward to help solve pool death mystery
Detectives have launched a fresh appeal for information about the murder and rape of Stuart Lubbock Picture: ESSEX POLICE - Credit: Essex Police
Essex Police and Crimestoppers have joined forces to offer a reward of up to £20,000 for information on the death of Stuart Lubbock – 19 years after his body was found in a swimming pool at Michael Barrymore’s home.
The reward comes as Essex Police features in a documentary on Channel 4, Barrymore: The Body in the Pool.
The programme, which airs on Thursday at 9pm, pieces together the events of March 31, 2001.
Police have appointed a new senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Jennings, to lead the inquiry.
Mr Lubbock had been attending a party at tge property in Roydon with eight other people.
Despite attempts to save him, the 31-year-old later died in hospital. A postmortem exam found he had suffered injuries which experts believed were the result of a serious sexual assault prior to his death.
In the aftermath of the discovery, some individuals left the property, while others, who had not attended the party, arrived, and items of possible forensic interest disappeared.
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The cause of death remains unascertained and an inquest in 2002 recorded an open verdict.
Senior Investigating Officer DCI Stephen Jennings said: "For almost 19 years the rape and death of Stuart Lubbock has remained a mystery and his family, in particular his devoted father Terry, have longed for both answers and justice.
"I and Essex Police are determined to do all we can to give Terry those answers and to bring someone to justice for what happened to Stuart.
"That determination is evident from the fact that both Essex Police and the charity Crimestoppers are funding a reward of up to £20,000 in the hope that someone can give us the breakthrough that we need.
"We know not everyone at that party was responsible for what happened, but someone was. We also know that not everyone at that party may know what happened, but someone does.
The reward will only be available for information given to Crimestoppers and not the police.
To be eligible, information must lead to arrest and conviction of the person, or people, responsible for the rape and murder of Stuart Lubbock.
Contact Crimestoppers at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call 0800 555 111.
