Marina Monti and Rachel Applethwaite

This was an interesting case, at the time police had linked the two murders, no doubt due to the fact that both victims had been working as prostitutes in the West London area.

During the Crimewatch appeal, the police released photographs of the clothing that Rachel Applethwaite was wearing when she was murdered. The clothing contained a label, on which someone had written the word 'Suarez'.

The appeal also provided a description and a video fit picture of a man that was in the company of Apllethwaite on the night she was murdered. They had been sitting together in the pub and more or less left together, although witnesses were unaware if they went their separate ways once outside.

Following the appeal a 42 year old Mexican diplomat, named Guillermo Suarez telephoned the police incident room and said that he may have some information surrounding the victim. He subsequently went to Kensington police station where it was noted he looked very similar to the video fit picture that witnesses had provided.

He claimed to only be a 'potential' witness, but detectives had severe doubts about his account and he was arrested. He stated that he had sexual relations with the victim and admitted he had gone to the pub with her, but had left her there.

The Mexican charge d'affaires in London was summoned to the Foreign Office where he was told in no uncertain terms that the British expected the Mexican authorities to waive the diplomatic protection afforded foreign diplomats.

It appears this was not agreeable to the Mexican authorities as at a coroners inquest on 1st July 1987, Suarez told the coroner that he would not answer any questions surrounding the death of Applethwaite as he feared it may incriminate him in her death.

He told a reporter following the hearing, 'I am innocent'

Suarez was identified by a friend of the deceased, Deborah Mezen as being the man she had seen with Applethwaite on the night that she was killed.

A dry cleaning manageress, Theresa Mellett also identified Suarez as being a customer that had taken a bag of bedding that was soiled with blood a few days after the murder. He told her, that his 'wife; had an accident'.

His wife however, was in Mexico.

I can find no other mention of this case. This may suggest that the police were satisfied that Suarez was the murderer, but had been protected by his diplomatic immunity.

In the 1990's police looked at a series of unsolved murders, of which Monti was one case. They did not include this case in that review, which adds further weight to the theory that Suarez was considered the killer and that subsequently the cases were not linked.