Camille Gordon, 23, was stabbed to demise exterior the Blue Bunny Membership in London’s Soho on 1 March 2004.
Police imagine her killer was an indignant buyer of the membership, often called a “clip joint” as a result of it charged folks massive sums of cash for spending just a few minutes with its hostesses.
Born in Jamaica, Camille got here to the UK in 2001 and studied in Birmingham for a number of years earlier than transferring to London to work part-time on the membership to assist fund her dream of turning into a nursery college assistant.
She was not concerned within the intercourse commerce however was tasked with engaging males into the membership by giving them the impression they’d be capable to participate in some form of sexual exercise.
Shortly earlier than the homicide she was working on the door in Archer Avenue when a person approached her at 6.20pm and paid the £5 entry payment. After spending round 10 minutes within the membership he was handed a invoice of round £375 when he tried to go away at 6.35pm.
It was finally agreed, following a dispute with workers, that he would pay £80. The person then left.
He walked in direction of the junction with Rupert Avenue however returned to the membership shortly afterwards, solely to again away along with his arms raised after seeing a special member of workers on the door.
Half an hour later at 7.10pm, after Camille had returned to face within the doorway, the killer – believed to be the identical male buyer – walked as much as the membership and stabbed her within the coronary heart. She screamed and staggered down the steps to inform her colleagues she had been stabbed within the chest.
The emergency companies had been alerted however she died of her accidents an hour later regardless of their efforts to save lots of her life.
CCTV cameras captured a grainy picture of a person operating from the membership in direction of Nice Windmill Avenue and Shaftesbury Avenue.
CCTV cameras additionally captured the suspect getting into Piccadilly Circus Tube station shortly after the homicide. He was described as black, aged 20 to 25 and betwee 5 ft 5 and 5ft 8 inches tall.
He was sporting a darkish jacket with a big ‘Cleveland Indians’ emblem on the entrance, darkish denims, white trainers and a hat believed to be a baseball cap.
Throughout subsequent police appeals, Detective Andy Mortimer stated: “Camille seems to have been intentionally focused by a buyer who was indignant about having been ripped off.”
The detective described clip joints as a “huge loophole” on the time as a result of they had been reliable companies that don’t serve alcohol or present intercourse reveals and have phrases and circumstances posted on the partitions.
DI Mortimer stated Camille was “certainly one of many women employed to face on the road exterior the golf equipment”.
“These ladies are drawn into working on the clip golf equipment as a result of they will make some huge cash in a short time. One in every of our theories is that Camille was working on the Blue Bunny to fund her educating course.”
Camille’s mom advised the Night Normal that her daughter was “a beautiful, comfortable, upbeat form of one who cherished to bop and made so many individuals comfortable.”
The household stated they needed to make it possible for clip joints can be closed down for good, including: “We’re frightened that different males will do the identical factor, and extra ladies will probably be murdered.”
In 2007 clip joints had been reclassified as intercourse institutions below the London Native Authorities Act and by September that yr the variety of golf equipment working within the space had been decreased from eight to 2.
Throughout a renewed police attraction in 2024, following the twentieth anniversary of the homicide, the Metropolitan Police provided a £20,000 reward for info and issued previously-unreleased CCTV pictures and video.
Detectives additionally appealed for a possible witness to get in contact. Two days after the homicide, on 3 March 2024, a person attended Kennington Police Station and requested to talk to a detective a few homicide on the Blue Bunny Membership. Nonetheless, he left earlier than the CID officer bought there and he by no means returned. He was described as white, about 35 years previous, about 5 ft 8 inches tall, of thin construct with outlined cheek bones and light-weight brown hair.
The case was featured on BBC’s Crimewatch in October 2024.
It could have been greater than 20 years since Camille was brutally murdered, however her household stay simply as heartbroken as we speak. They need solutions and so they need the individual answerable for Camille’s demise delivered to justice – that is one thing we would like too and we’ve got not given up attempting to get that for them. This is the reason we are actually providing a £20,000 reward for info that results in the profitable cost and conviction of the individual accountable.
Quite a bit can occur in 20 years, allegiances can change. Possibly you felt unable to speak to us on the time, for no matter motive, however you are actually ready to take action. Possibly you noticed the assault otherwise you had been on the membership or within the space on the time of the homicide? Possibly the individual accountable has since confided in you? I might urge you to share no matter info you will have with us – it is going to be handled within the strictest confidence and will carry a lot wanted closure to Camille’s household.
Detective Inspector Amanda Greig from the Met’s Specialist Casework Staff
Anybody with info is requested to name the incident room on 020 8785 8267. Data may also be submitted on-line to the Public Portal (mipp.police.uk) or anonymously by way of the impartial charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
