The Unsolved Murders of Rachel Applethwaite and Marina Monte

Rachel Applethwaite

It was Saturday 24 January 1987. Rachel, 23 and her boyfriend Ian, 20 watched television in their DHSS hotel bedroom in Earls Court, London before the pair went out to look for business on the streets of London. Rachel worked as a prostitute, and at around 7 pm, the pair arrived at Cleveland Terrace, where Rachel solicited for a client. She did not have to wait long before her first client of the evening arrived. A man in an orange mini pulled up. Ian checked out the car, as he always did. He found no issues, so Rachel got into the car and then drove off with the man.

Rachel would normally spend about 25–30 minutes with each client. However, on this occasion, she was gone for 2 hours. It was about 9 pm when she returned to Ian on Cleveland Terrace. Rachel was described by people as being quite loud and often aggressive. On top, she had an increasing drinking problem. When Rachel returned from her first client, she was already intoxicated. Rachel and Ian had a row on the street. A cab driver was witness to this as Rachel tried to get in his cab. Ian pulled her out, and the driver saw them both go off in opposite directions, this was the last time that Ian would see Rachel.

Rachel spoke on the phone with her father the next day at around 12.30 pm. She told him that she was staying with some friends and had left the hotel. She did not tell him where she was calling from or who she was staying with. That evening, Rachel went to the King's Head public house on Edgeware Road. She was seen there with a man and another female.

In the pub, a group of women were making fun of Rachel about the clothing that she was wearing. She was wearing an old-fashioned two-piece outfit, a skirt and jacket. The clothing was way too big for her, so it clearly did not belong to her. Rachel went over to confront the women and a fight broke out. It was broken up at about 10.30 pm when the closing time bell was rung. The girl that was with Rachel went to the bathroom before leaving the pub, when she came out, Rachel had gone. Witnesses say that they saw Rachel leave the pub, clutching a white plastic bag. Shortly after, the man, who was with Rachel and her friend, followed her out of the pub. It is not known what happened to Rachel next.

Rachel’s body was found the next day in a lock-up garage on Sumner Place in Chelsea. Rachel had been strangled, beaten and mutilated. Her cause of death was not strangulation, but from the other injuries to her body. Police believed that a chainsaw and another implement were used to mutilate her body. Rachel's boots were also missing.

Police appealed to several people of interest that they wanted to come forwards. They stated on Crimewatch that they wished to speak with the man in the orange mini and the friend that Rachel told her father that she was staying with. The clothing that Rachel was wearing did not belong to her, the police wanted to speak to whoever’s clothing she was wearing. The police believed that the clothing could be a uniform worn in the hotel or catering industry. On the clothing, there was the name ‘P Swarez’ and the initials ‘T.K’ written in pen on the label.

When Rachel left the pub on Edgeware Road, police are sure that somebody must have seen her. The area was very busy, and Rachel was very drunk. Police surmised that she might have been pushed into a car.

Police also appealed to the man that Rachel was drinking within the pub. He was described as being dark-skinned, possibly Greek or Arab, was about 5ft 9in tall and aged somewhere around 35 to 45. He has black grey that is turning slightly grey and was wearing a thick jacket, possibly a skiing jacket, gold-rimmed glasses and a large medallion ring on a finger on his left hand.

The police received over 250 calls on the case, but with no convictions. Rachel’s murder was linked to the murder of Marina Monte. Marina was found dead the day before Rachel, on a track by the Mitre Bridge Junction off Scrubs Lane in London, about 4 miles away from where Rachel was left in the garage. Marina was also a prostitute; she had been strangled, and her shoes had also been taken.

Marina Monte

Marina Monte was in a similar situation to Rachel Applethwaite. Like Rachel, Marina was an addict, only hers was heroin. She worked as a prostitute to finance her drug use. Marina had no family in England, only a boyfriend who was also a drug addict.

On the evening of Saturday, January 24, 1987, Marina left her hotel at around 10.30 pm to look for business around the Bayswater and Paddington areas of London. The police had no specific sightings of her that evening in any of the places where she normally looked for business, so they believe that her killer could have been one of her first clients.

Marina’s body was found by a railway worker at 7.15 am the next morning. She had been dumped on a lane near the Mitre bridge junction, a short distance off of Scrubbs lane. She had been strangled and her boots and handbag were missing.

A signalman working on the railway on the evening of the 24th January said that he noticed a small call pull into a service road by the side of the railway line. He said the car stayed there for approximately 4 to 5 minutes before driving off.

On the BBC TV show, Crimewatch, Police appealed to anyone who saw Marina leave her hotel at 10.30 pm or saw her in the area.

Sadly, very little else has been written about Marina’s case.

Suspects

Mexican diplomat Guillermo Suárez, 42, was questioned by police over the murders in March 1987. Suárez had been with Rachel the night before she died. He was released without charge.

A 32-year-old Englishman living in South Africa was also questioned over the murders. The man had lived in Britton Close, Wellgarth Way, Hampstead Garden Suburb. He was accused of previously assaulting a prostitute in London, he was not charged with the murders.

As of 2022, both cases remain unsolved.

Sources and further reading

Crimewatch Episode — https://youtu.be/EhLJZaBwPzI

Sunday Independent (Dublin) — Sunday 01 March 1987: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002324/19870301/001/0001

Dundee Courier — Saturday 28 February 1987: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19870228/150/0011

Kensington Post — Thursday 07 May 1987: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002502/19870507/054/0007

Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Gazette — Friday 06 March 1987: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002482/19870306/039/0008