Canadian man 'confesses' to Soho, London murder 69 years later

Seven decades later, a murder case is no longer cold.

In 1946, 26-year-old Margaret Cook was a sex worker in Soho, London. Her killer was never found.

That was until a man, 91, living in Canada recently admitted to shooting her. That's according to a British journalist. Mike Sullivan says the unnamed man confessed after being diagnosed with cancer. He says he's never been charged.

"He decided that he didn't want to die with this on his conscience," Sullivan tells As it Happens guest-host Laura Lynch. Sullivan is the crime editor for The Sun, a UK tabloid newspaper that broke the story.

Canadian authorities contacted London's Metropolitan Police after the man confessed. Sullivan claims officers from Scotland Yard then flew to Canada to interview him. 

"They carried out this extraordinary identification process," says Sullivan.

The man was shown a dozen photos of women from the era. He picked the image of Margaret Cook.  

"That was good evidence as far as the police were concerned," says Sullivan.  

Now, the UK is trying to get the man extradited for trial. Canada has yet to make a decision on the matter.

When contacted by As It Happens, the Department of Justice said in a statement: "Extradition requests are confidential state to state communications, so the Government of Canada cannot confirm or deny the existence of such a request."

Sullivan says it's a "complex issue."

"This story brings up all sorts of questions about crime and punishment," he says. "At the age of 91 … there is a question of whether it really is worth while to return him for trial."

For more on the story, take a listen to our interview and read Sullivan's original story here.