Elizabeth Parravincini

Status:

Open

Offense Location:

Osterley, London

Summary:

Elizabeth Parravincina (also spelled Parravicini), 27 years old, was murdered in Osterley on September 9, 1977. The murders occurred in similar circumstances, and it was immediately announced that the killings of Weedon and Parravincina could be linked. The case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Elizabeth was visiting family from her home in Rome when killed returning from going to the cinema in the West End with her theatrical friends. Just as in the case with Weedon, Parravincina had walked home late at night along the Great West Road before turning right into Osterley Road, where she was attacked. Having walked past St Mary's Church and the playing fields of Isleworth Grammar School (now Isleworth and Syon School) Parravincina drew level with the driveway of the private Parkfield Housing Estate where she lived, when she was suddenly attacked from behind by a man who hit her with a blunt instrument. Parravincina's skull was likewise instantly fractured and the killer similarly dragged her body away from the street and into shrubbery. Although in Parravincina's case, there was no sign of sexual interference, detectives believed that Elizabeth's attacker had been disturbed and had fled before interfering with her body.

Additional Details:

Liz Graham was a popular and talented member of the Student Group in 1969/70, joining it shortly after leaving school. She played successfully in the Second Year Group's production of The Disorderly Women in 1970. Elizabeth was an amateur actress. A large police hunt was launched in response to Parravincini's murder, and a photofit picture of a suspect was released, leading to more than 60 calls being made to police by the public. In January 1978 the lead detective, Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Draycott, said that there were "quite a few possibles which are being worked on at the moment". In 1983 it was revealed that detectives had interviewed a jailed policeman as part of an inquiry into the murders of three women, including Weedon and Parravincina. The policeman, Paul Thomas, had been jailed for five and a half years for sex crimes, and was said to have "led a secret life of kinky sex, terrorising schoolgirls". He reportedly prowled the streets in the area at night wearing a hood and dark clothes. Thomas was interviewed after his arrest for the other crimes, and was questioned routinely about the death of Elizabeth Parravincina. However, he was reported to have produced "a satisfactory alibi". The Weedon, Parravincina, and Stratford murder cases remain unsolved.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 14, 2026