Michele del Marco Lupo (19 January 1953 – 12 February 1995)[1] was a serial killer originally from Italy, who was active in the UK.
On 16th March 1986, the body of 37-year-old James Burns[2] was found strangled and partially clothed in the derelict basement of 32 Warwick Road, Kensington, London.
Although two witnesses came forward confirming James spent the day drinking and ended up meeting Lupo at The Coleherne Pub in Earls Court.
After appeals made by the police and celebrities like Kenny Everett regarding the murder of James Burns, 31-year-old Kevin McDonagh[2] came forward to say he had been attacked the week prior in the same basement of Warwick Road.
On 6 April that year, the body of Anthony Conolly,[2] 24, was found in a railway hut on the London Catford Loop by Ferndale Road, Brixton.
Conolly had left his flat on the night of 5th April 1986 and took the short walk to the Prince of Wales pub on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton.
He wore a sweater, with his trademark leather jacket embellished with silver studs, and severely distressed jeans with "shocking pink tights underneath".
While also wearing his trademark scarf it was the tights that gained most attention throughout the evening, including the doorman who recalled Conolly left around 1 am.
Lupo confessed to strangling Conolly with the scarf he was wearing before leaving the body and taking a taxi to a nightclub where he danced until 3 am.
This time Lupo bumped into 22-year-old Mark Leyland[2] who was exploring his sexuality and understood men cruised for sex around the area.
Mark in his police statement shared he started to perform oral sex on Lupo when he just got the feeling something wasn't right and stopped.
Damien McCloskey[2] was originally from Londonderry, Northern Ireland and was 22 years old when in the early hours of 25th April 1986 he left Copacabana, Earls Court around 2 am.
Making his way back to the Philbeach Hotel where he worked as a receptionist and occasionally bunked down for the night, he bumped into Lupo on Earls Court Road.
Lupo was originally from the village of Monte Donato, Bologna, Italy and had completed his national service in the Italian Bersaglieri, 22nd unit before coming to London in 1974.
On 21st May, Lupo was charged with two other recent killings, those of hotel receptionist Damien McCloskey, who had been strangled in West London, and an unidentified man, who was murdered near Hungerford Bridge over the Thames.
Detectives investigating believe Lupo's HIV diagnosis had led to a "callous rationale" and an "urge to kill" in an act of revenge.
Detectives also conceded that this theory was too neat and further, there was no record of Lupo having undertaken an HIV test prior to his arrest.