MURDERER and rapist, John Cannan, whose victim’s body was found in a stream on the Quantocks in the late 1980s, died of an aneurysm, an inquest has heard.

Cannan, who was jailed in 1989 for the rape and murder of 29-year old Bristol newlywed, Shirley Banks. her body was found in a stream near Dead Woman’s Ditch on the Quantock Hills.

According to the inquest, the 70-year old died at HMP Full Sutton in East Yorkshire on November 6 as a result of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. In October of 2023, the parole board found he was too dangerous to release.

Cannan was also the prime suspect in the unsolved murder of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, who disappeared in 1986 – a claim which Mr Cannan always denied. Cannan was questioned in prison in connection with the incident but no charges were ever brought.

Cannan was jailed for a minimum of 35 years for the rape and murder of Mrs Banks, along with a further sexual offence, an attempted kidnapping and two offences of abduction with intent to engage in unlawful sexual intercourse.

An inquest into Cannan’s death was opened and adjourned on Friday at Hull Coroner’s Court in a five-minute hearing.

Area coroner for Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, Lorraine Harris, said she had a received a statement from the prison confirming Cannan’s identity and containing details of how he was found, which were not read out.

Ms Harris told the hearing that the cause of death was a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The coroner said she will be requesting various pieces of information from the prison, which houses Category A and B inmates, and she adjourned the hearing to a date to be fixed.

No family were present in court for the brief hearing, which was attended only by journalists and court staff.

Suzy Lamplugh was declared dead, presumed murdered, after going missing in July 1986 at the age of 25. She left her west London offices to meet a mystery client known only as “Mr Kipper” for a flat viewing and was never seen again.

In 2018, police carried out excavations at Cannan’s mother’s former home in Sutton Coldfield but nothing was found.

After Cannan’s death, Ms Lamplugh’s brother said his family will never get closure.

Richard Lamplugh, 64, said he was “not mourning John Cannan” but had been left instead mourning the “loss of him ever giving us closure”.