Brenda Long

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

kent-police

Offense Location:

Whitstable, Kent

Summary:

Brenda Long, 41-42, was found dead in her bathtub at her flat in Whitstable, Kent on December 28, 1991. She was drugged with diethyl ether and drowned, initially appearing as a suicide until autopsy revealed foul play. Her death occurred eight months after she witnessed her partner Alan Leppard being shot and killed in Monkton.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On December 26, 1991, Brenda Long spoke to her sister by phone and was seen with her ex-boyfriend Arthur Hibbert on Boxing Day. Police believe she was murdered before December 27, as she had not completed her usual work duties. On the evening of December 28, 1991, her body was discovered around 9pm in the bathtub of her flat at White Marsh Court, Cromwell Road, Whitstable by her ex-boyfriend. An empty pill container floated in the bathwater and a suicide note was found nearby, initially suggesting she had taken her own life. However, post-mortem examination by pathologist Dr. Alexander Gibson revealed bruising on either side of her nose and a chemical smell identified as diethyl ether. Testing confirmed she had been rendered unconscious by a pad soaked in ether pressed against her face, then drowned. She had been drinking and likely lost consciousness within seconds of the ether being administered.

Additional Details:

The murder followed the fatal shooting of her partner Alan Leppard on Easter Bank Holiday (April 1, 1991) in Monkton, Kent. Brenda had witnessed Alan being shot in the chest with a 12-bore shotgun by gunmen who fled in a distinctive Cadillac-style car. She held him as he died and later became a key witness, helping police with their investigation into his death. After Alan's murder, Brenda moved to Whitstable in August 1991, attempting to rebuild her life following the trauma. The two murders were linked as a connected double killing. At Brenda's inquest, the coroner Richard Sturt passed a verdict of unlawful killing, describing it as "one of the strangest and most disturbing cases I have dealt with for some time." Arthur Hibbert, the ex-boyfriend who had been in a 12-year relationship with Brenda before she met Alan, was questioned by police but released without charge. He testified at the inquest that Brenda had been "very depressed" and that he had taken her back to her flat on Boxing Day, sleeping on the sofa and leaving the next morning. Hibbert was later found in a suicide attempt nine days before Brenda's inquest. Detective Superintendent Nick Biddiss, who led the investigation into both murders, developed a close relationship with Brenda while investigating Alan's death. He stated she was a "very likeable, affable, popular person" with no connections to the criminal underworld and no enemies. Despite a Crimewatch reconstruction that generated 950 public calls, no arrests have been made in either case. The two murders remain among Kent's most baffling unsolved crimes, with no clear motive established. Police continue to appeal for information, with Kent Police's Cold Case Team regularly reviewing the investigation using advances in technology and forensics.

Case Last Updated:

Aug 09, 2026