Missing Green Bedford

[Hobbit]

This old topic deserves another mention, seeing as:

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the disappearance of Michelle Veronica Pope (18) and
Stephen Victor Lapthorne (21) and his Bedford van. Last seen around 10.15 pm on 25th August
1978, leaving his home in West Pymble to drive to her home in Berowa. They never arrived and
have not been seen or heard from since.

Adding to this mystery is that Stephen's van has never been located either. The van was reported
as a 1976 SWB CF Bedford, in lime green (turnpike green), with a 100mm wide dark green stripe
down the sides. It had mag wheels and NSW regristration SL-710.

Some months afterwards, another young couple went missing while hitch-hiking, just north of
Sydney in January 1979. During police investigations into these possible abduction / homicides,
Ivan Milat was a suspect. A $100,000 reward for information leading to a conviction is still being
offered.

In remembrance of Michelle and Stephen, together forever in Aussie vanning folklore.

[mezzmo]

Amen to that Hobbit, lets hope that one day the mystery will be solved.

[Bedfordcrazy]

Hey Hobbit, as a retired PI, yep that is a case i have followed for a long time. The evidence though does not point to Milat. All the evidence to date is that it was drug and mob connected, but untill someone comes forward that is just speculation.
Why it does not look like a milat related crime is that he grabbed up hitch hikers, they were driving a van, 2nd most of Milats victims were taken from the south of Sydney, these two were on the north side, and 3rd, the cops turned over every part of Milat's life and if there was a green van on his properties then it would of turned up, and also it would of been a first for Milat to dispose of a vehicle. Again untill someone says something all that is speculation as well.
The train of thought to date has been that they had a drug deal gone wrong and they and their van ended up at the bottom a of a large dam or water way. The mystery will be solved one day, a death bed confession maybe , like the Beaumont kids disappearence, that may almost be solved.

George

[Hobbit]

Thanks for the extra information, George.
This case caught my interest too, because it happened around the time I bought my Beddy.

[Bedfordcrazy]

Hey Hobbit, end of the day, i know i was'nt there, and i am guessing you were not there,  so the only ones that know are the couple in the van, and those, if any that are involved. The other possible answer could be that they have lost control driven off the road, ended up in deep water.
A couple of years ago, and i forget the case now, but it was around the time of flooding in the states, a young girl vanished and was missing for a long time, and after a flood her remains were bought to light, if not for the flood she may never have been found. The number of cases where a new road or building has gone in and they unearth remains. Point being somewhere they will be discovered, and we will all have an answer to where is the green beddy.

george.