John LuperAN arrest has been made in a cold case 22 years after a millionaire businessman was beaten to death in a “sickening” robbery”.
John Luper, 57, died following the attack when masked intruders entered his home in Alwoodley, a suburb of , in February 2004.
Businessman John Luper was found unconscious and later died at his homeCredit: Ross Parry
The robbers stole around £100,000 in valuables, including a rare Cartier watchCredit: West Yorkshire Police
have said a 55-year-old man has been arrested in Bradford on Wednesday.
Det Supt Damian Roebuck said: “Our team are firmly committed to doing everything we can to get justice for John Luper and his family.
“This includes the analysis of forensic materials, which I can confirm has led to today’s arrest.
“Mr Luper’s family have been updated and, while we appreciate that the arrest will understandably bring a renewed focus on the investigation, we do not anticipate any immediate developments at this stage.
“It is more than 22 years since John’s brutal murder and we are no less determined to find out who killed him.”
The four or five men attacked Mr Luper when he was out walking his dog near his home on February 16, 2004.
He was dragged back to the property and his wife, daughter and au pair were tied up with duct tape in an upstairs room.
The robbers fled with around £100,000 in valuables, including a rare Cartier watch.
Mr Luper was found unconscious by his wife and daughter after they had managed to free themselves.
Police were called at around 1.45am but despite attempts to resuscitate Mr Luper, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Post-mortem results showed he died as a result of asphyxiation.
Cops made a number of arrests during the early stages of the investigation and made numerous appeals, along with the family, but no-one has been charged.
Det Supt Roebuck has called for anyone who knew of people making inquiries into Mr Luper and his affairs around the time of his murder to come forward.
He said: “Likewise, perhaps you were approached and asked to buy from unknown people around the time of the murder.
“This information could prove vital to our investigation.”
In February 2024, Mr Luper’s brother Tony made an emotional appeal on the 20th anniversary of the attack.
In a video address he said he was still “affected the same” by his brother’s killing 20 years on.
Tony added: “The people that did this must be known. The people that know them must have known what happened. It’s impossible not to.
“They’ve got away with this for 20 years.”
He continued: “I can’t forgive the attacker, I’ll never forgive. He’s given me a life sentence.”
He said his mother had “cried every day” until her death.
“I don’t want sympathy, I want justice. I will never go away until these people are in the place they deserve to be.”
Mr Luper’s brother Tony made an emotional appeal on the 20th anniversary of the attackCredit: West Yorkshire Police
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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