On the evening of November 7, 1974, a young nanny named Sandra Rivett, just 29 years old, descended into the unlit basement of her London apartment — and never returned. Roughly an hour later, Lady Veronica Lucan burst into a nearby pub, bloodied and frantic, declaring that her husband had just murdered the nanny. But when police arrived to confront Lord Lucan, he had vanished without a trace. To this day, not a single person has confirmed seeing him since.

Born into wealth and privilege, Richard John Bingham (Lord Lucan) lived a life defined by indulgence — he had a well-known passion for motorboats, vodka martinis, and fast cars. Though he started his career in banking, he quickly realized he had a talent for gambling and abandoned his profession to devote himself to it entirely. The consequences were devastating: mounting gambling troubles and a staggering $60,000 debt tore the family apart. The couple eventually separated, and Veronica was on the verge of winning custody of the children.

On November 7, 1974, Lord Lucan had plans to meet another woman for a date.

He never showed. According to Veronica, instead of keeping that engagement, he attacked her — but only after killing their nanny Sandra Rivett in the kitchen of the family home. Her belief is that he had mistaken Rivett for her.

What followed was the beginning of one of the most baffling disappearances in modern history. Lord Lucan fled immediately, but not before placing one final phone call — to his mother, requesting that she collect the children from his home. That call, made from an unidentified location, remains the last known communication he ever made. Authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, yet he was never located.

Interesting Facts:

  • Lord Lucan was declared dead in 1999.
  • In 2016, Lord Lucan was issued a death certificate so that his son could inherit his titles.
  • Lady Veronica Lucan died at 80 years old from an overdose.
  • There have been 70 different alleged sightings of Lord Lucan throughout the years. However, none have been verified.
  • Some believe he was killed and fed to a tiger. Others believe he killed himself after realizing his fatal mistake.