Lady of the Hills: Major breakthrough as man arrested on suspicion of murder or Lamduan Armitage in 2004
Police investigating the death of a woman in 2004 have arrested a man on suspicion of murder.
Lamduan Armitage’s (nee Seekanya) body was found by walkers at Sell Gill near Pen-y-ghent, above Horton in Ribblesdale, on September 20 of that year.
Her identity remained unknown until early 2019 when the force’s Major Investigation Team’s Cold Case Review Unit achieved a breakthrough using a combination of media coverage and DNA testing.
A BBC Online article about the case in the January of that year was brought to the attention of Lamduan’s parents in Udon Thani, north-east Thailand.
They came forward to North Yorkshire Police believing the woman could be their daughter who they had not seen since 2004.
DNA testing was carried out which confirmed the woman to be Lamduan who would now be aged 55.
It was established that she was married mother of three who was living in northern England at the time of her unexplained death.
This breakthrough was publicised by North Yorkshire Police on 19 March 2019 which resulted in extensive national and international coverage about the case.
However, there were delays for the investigation team to receive legal authority to go to Thailand.
They were further hampered by international travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning this part of the investigation has been put on hold for almost four years.
On Saturday evening (February 1), North Yorkshire Police released a statement confirming they had made an arrest in relation to the case.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “A 61-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Lamduan Armitage in 2004. He remains in police custody for questioning.
“We strongly urge the media and public to refrain from speculation about the case to ensure fair justice can be delivered in line with the Contempt of Court Act 1981.
“Where we believe there have been breaches of contempt laws, we have the option of referring them to the Attorney General’s Office to consider.
“We also urge the media to respect the rights and privacy of those connected to the case, including family members.”