In 1974, a 29-year old woman was brutally murdered in a London basement.
The tragic death of Sandra Rivett, who worked as a nanny, came as a shock to people in the UK - and all over the world - because the main suspect was a well-known British aristocrat.
Richard John Bingham, also known as Lord Lucan, disappeared after allegedly murdering Sandra, who worked as his family's nanny. Although there have been apparent sightings of him all over the world, he has never officially been found. Now, photos of a mystery pensioner in Australia could be a "definite match" for the fugitive.
Leading computer scientist Professor Hassan Ugail used an artificial intelligence algorithm to run 4000 cross-checks of seven photos – four of Lucan and three of the mystery man in Australia, according to an exclusive by The Mirror.
But who is Lord Lucan, and what happened in his life that eventually led to his disappearance?
Who is Lord Lucan?
Richard John Bingham was born on December 18, 1934 in London. Given the title of the 7th Earl of Lucan, he was an aristocrat and British peer who grew up privately educated.
Despite him and his siblings being evacuated from the city during World War Two, he went on to attend Eton College upon his return and picked up a taste of what would eventually be his career choice.
He loved to gamble, even though it's reported his losses were often far bigger than his earnings. But his obsession eventually led to him quitting his job as a banker to pursue gambling full-time and was even given the nickname ' Lucky ' by his friends.
His main game was backgammon, and he was one of the founding members of the exclusive group the Clermont Set.
Who was Lord Lucan married to?
Lord Lucan's wife was Veronica Duncan, who was born in 1937.
The pair met in 1963, after attending a high-society golf club meeting in London, and they married later that year. Their wedding was a high-profile one, but soon after, it began to unravel as Lord Lucan's gambling was putting a strain on the relationship.
They had three children together, and after the birth of their eldest Lady Frances, Veronica began to suffer from post-natal depression and was put on medication. Things came to a head in 1972 when Lord Lucan moved out of their family home in Belgravia, and into his own place nearby.
Although Veronica wanted to make things work, Lord Lucan did not, and he became desperate for custody of the children. He even resorted to spying on his family, and trying to prove that Veronica wasn't a fit mother when she was experiencing mental health issues.
Sandra Rivett's murder
At the time, Veronica was required by law to hire a live-in nanny - so Sandra Rivett was hired in late 1974.
The 22-year-old was caring for the children one night when she asked Veronica if she wanted a cup of tea. But when she went down to the basement kitchen, she would never come back out.
She was bludgeoned to death with a led pipe, and her body was stuffed into an unused mail bag. When Veronica went to search for her, she was also attacked - but it was allegedly her husband's voice she heard telling her to "shut up". It was then she claims that Lord Lucan admitted to killing Sandra.
Veronica originally claimed she would help her husband escape, but instead fled from the house and into their nearest pub to tell everyone what she had just witnessed. Lucan is said to have vanished that night and although there has never been any confirmed sightings, he's allegedly been spotted in various countries around the world since.
It's been thought that Sandra's death could have been a case of mistaken identity, with some reports suggesting that Lord Lucan intended to kill his wife Veronica instead.
Where is Lord Lucan now?
Though he was legally declared dead in 2016, experts claim to have tracked down the missing criminal in Brisbane, Australia, according to an exclusive report by the Mirror.
An 87-year-old man is thought to be the killer, after photos were analysed of Lucan and the old man. He was tracked down by Sandra's son, Neil Berriman.
Mr Berriman said: "I’ve spent nine years trying to prove this man is Lucan. Now, with this new scientific information, the police must act.
"This isn’t emotion. It’s fact."
Leading computer scientist Professor Hassan Ugail used an artificial intelligence algorithm to identify the pictures, which he says is "never wrong".
The man has reportedly been living in a Buddhist community and attending prayer meetings. Other possible sightings of Lord Lucan have been reported in Africa, India and New Zealand.
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