Brian Price & Susan Tetrault
About the Recipe
Brian Price & Susan Tetrault was found hacked to death in their Clapham flat in 1986, the couple’s brutal murders were linked to organised crime and drug smuggling, but no one was ever convicted. The case was marked “detected” and quietly closed, leaving families and detectives convinced that justice was never done.
Victim name and age:Susan Tetrault (approx 36) and Brian Price (approx 43)
Perpetrator name and age:Unknown – case remains unsolved
Incident:On 13 July 1986, the couple were found brutally murdered in their flat on St Alphonsus Road, Clapham. Both had been hacked to death with an axe while they slept, in what police later linked to organised drug-smuggling and revenge within criminal circles.
Outcome:No convictions were ever secured. The case was marked as “detected” and closed despite continuing doubts and frustration from investigators and family members.
Location/Date:St Alphonsus Road, Clapham, South London – 13 July 1986
Background & Context
Brian Price (approx. 43 at time of death) and Susan Tetrault (approx. 36) lived together in a first-floor flat on St Alphonsus Road, Clapham, South London. Brian had a long criminal past including major drug-smuggling convictions — e.g., smuggling 80 kg of cannabis from Morocco into Cornwall via boat.
Susan had also been convicted (4 years) for her part in the smuggling operation. On the evening of Sunday 13 July 1986 they were discovered in their bed, naked, hacked to death with an axe (believed to belong to them) and suffocated. At the time the murder was widely thought to be gang-related and possibly an execution tied to their criminal links.
The Perpetrators
No one has ever been convicted for the murders. One suspect, Dean Alexander, a criminal acquaintance of Brian, was tried at the Old Bailey but acquitted. The case remains open and unsolved.
Incident / Key Events
On 13 July 1986 they were found dead in their flat.
Their bodies were naked in bed, and then hacked with an axe; the weapon was never recovered.
Prior to the murders Brian had returned to the UK just days earlier from overseas drug-trafficking discussions (Cyprus/Turkey) according to sources.
Investigation
The investigation linked the couple’s deaths to their past drug trafficking network: Brian had been convicted in 1983 for smuggling cannabis, and the couple had continued links abroad.
One suspect (Alexander) was arrested, tried, and acquitted.
Because of the unsolved nature and lack of body recovery of Brian and Susan, the investigation has been labelled “detected” but closed.
Outcome
No conviction was secured for their murders.
The case remains officially unsolved.
Aftermath
The brutality of the murders and their criminal background created a lasting legacy in crime circles in South London.
Brian’s adopted son Ray continues to campaign for re-investigation and closure.
The case was featured in the documentary series In the Footsteps of Killers (Season 3) as a cold-case example.