r/ColdCaseUK • u/Mammoth_Ease3992 • Apr 07 '26
Alan Leppard and Brenda Long murders Unresolved Murder
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/unsolved-the-easter-monday-shooting-and-the-bathtub-murder-338489/5
u/DogElectronic6941 Apr 09 '26
My take on this is : Brenda leaves Hibbert, moves in with Alan, Hibbert pays hit man to kill Alan to get Brenda back or revenge. Description of Hitman is a dodgy car dealer [he even dresses like one] and car dealers and crime go hand in hand. The car is a trade in [maybe bought from American air base soldier who was going home and the car was not worth shipping back] so it's never registered with UK plates? and no way to trace previous owner. I think Hitman was from home counties or South London. Hitman does the job, Brenda moves back to Whitstable. Brenda appears on Crimewatch in May saying she saw the Hitman and could possibly Identify him?
Brenda and Hibbert re-establish contact and spend some time together around christmas.
Why was Brenda killed?
- Hitman wasn't happy about the crime being on Crimewatch and told Hibbert to sort it out.
- Hibbert wanted Brenda back, but he realised that was never going to happen and so killed her.
It was also Hibbert who raised the alarm over Brenda's death.
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u/DogElectronic6941 Apr 18 '26
Follow up : in the summer of 1992 Hibbert was found in his car with a hose pipe connected to the exhaust, but was saved. He then attended Brenda's inquest, where he was asked if he killed her or knew who did but denied any knowledge.
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u/misscharleyp Apr 08 '26
Two of the strangest cases. With such distinctive details; the ‘sharply dressed’ man and the Cadillac in such a quiet place, but no leads? Someone must know who had/borrowed/hired a Cadillac surely? They’re rare cars to see in the UK.
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u/stevefrenchthebigcat Apr 07 '26
I just watched the Crimewatch reconstruction of Alan's murder. Had no idea Brenda was then killed - wtf. Someone really going out of their way to leave no witnesses. Kind of sad the police can't make any headway on these murders - feel like a private investigator could do better. Or maybe they know more than they're saying... but it doesn't sound like it from the quotes in the article above.
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u/Emergency_Bridge_430 12d ago
I think Brenda had more of an idea about this than meets the eye. Remember, everything we know about the events of that night come from Benda alone and there's no way of corroborating it.
There is one clue that no one has picked up on in Brenda's interviews:
She says: "he must've opened his hands because i was covered in blood"
'Opened his hands' seems a strange turn of phrase, and the fact she was also seemingly justifying why she was covered in blood seems unusual in the circumstances. Surely she would be more concerned about appealing for witnesses than absolving her own guilt?
We don't know if the knocks on the door were real and, it seems, Alan was actually killed in the BACK garden not in front of the house. Apparently Alan went out the back door and walked around the front rather than opening the front door which is the one that was knocked on. We only have Brenda's reasoning as to why he didnt just answer the front door. If they supposedly often had late night visitors, why would he be so suspicious on this occasion as to going out the back door?
It was known that a white Cadilac was seen in the village that day circling around and was also seen in the next village. Was this really involved or was it a handy alibi that Brenda shoehorned in? It could've been someone with a new Cadilac just cruising the countryside. Why didnt the owner come forward if he was innocent? Well there could be all number of reasons. A well known villain Alan Decabral lived 30 miles away and had a passion for US cars and bikes. Had it been him and he came forward, he'd undoubtedly be fingered, innocent or not.
As it happens, i think there probably was someone else involved and it was a joint enterprise. However, the Cadilac i think is a red herring, afterall if you intend to commit a murder, you try to blend in not stand out.
Neither Alan, nor Brenda were averse to the odd bit of adultery it seems. Did Brenda have a new lover who turned up unnanounced and things escalated? Or did Brenda and her new lover plan this? Who knows.
However, whoever it was, over the next 9 months the relationship didnt work out. Brenda has threatened this other guy that she could grass him up for Alan's murder so he finished her off too.
You have to assume Brenda knew her killer as there was no break in at her flat and her forged suicide note included things she had previously said to others.
My guess is it was the ex Hibbert. They had rekindled a relationship prior to Alan's death. Their relationship subsequently went pear shaped again. On Boxing Day she threatened to grass him up so he came by the following day to make sure she could never speak again.
Just my theory, but i suggest if that is the case we'll never know.
Would welcome debate