Alan Leppard

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

kent-police

Offense Location:

Monkton, Kent

Summary:

Alan Leppard, a 43-year-old quantity surveyor, was gunned down on his doorstep on Easter Monday 1 April 1991 with a 12-gauge shotgun when he went to answer his door at about 10.40pm. Despite receiving 950 calls from a Crimewatch appeal, police have been unable to track down the killers and it is thought they were professional hitmen. The case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

In the spring of 1991, Alan Leppard and Brenda Long had recently started a new life together in Monkton, a small village between Ramsgate and Canterbury. The couple had moved into a cottage on Monkton Street just months earlier and were regulars at the nearby White Stag pub, only two doors away. Friends described them as happy and settled, with the pair planning to marry. Three weeks prior to the shooting, a mysterious man wearing a red tie, gold bracelet and gold watch visited the White Stag pub to inquire about Alan. The then-landlord told police he had just opened up for the night at about 6.50pm when the smartly-dressed man walked in. The brazen inquisitor was described as having slick black hair, piercing eyes and aged between 35 and 38. At about 10pm on April 1, 1991, they pulled up outside the cottage where Alan and Brenda were in bed watching television and knocked at the door. Looking through the window, Brenda saw the two men outside near the car. But when she went to answer the door, the vehicle had already driven off. Less than an hour later the car returned. This time, Alan went downstairs himself, but opening the front door proved to be a fatal decision. The dad-of-one was shot at point blank range in the chest with a 12-bore shotgun. Despite bleeding heavily from his devastating wounds, Alan managed to stagger back inside.

Additional Details:

Witnesses reported seeing an unfamiliar large, white, American-style car, possibly a Cadillac, driving around the village in the days prior to the murder. E-fits were produced of the driver and the well-dressed man who had visited the pub weeks earlier. A Crimewatch reconstruction was broadcast and the case generated about 950 calls from members of the public. Yet none of the information led to arrests. Even the make of the vehicle was never definitively identified, although investigators believed it may have been a Cadillac. Kent Police's DCI Neil Kimber stated that unsolved cases such as the 1991 murders of Alan Leppard and Brenda Long are subject to regular reviews by the Cold Case Team using the latest advances in technology and forensics. Unfortunately, at this stage, there have been no new developments and reviews will continue. Anyone who can help is urged to call 01843 222289. Mr Leppard was known in the village by a variety of names including Alan, Andy, Adam and Brian. His common law wife was sometimes called Diane. The pair were into bodybuilding and competed in competitions. Alan had walked out on fourth wife Wendy after seven months.

Case Last Updated:

Aug 08, 2026