This July marks the 50th anniversary of the unsolved murder of 15-year-old Enrico Sidoli, a case that remains one of London’s most disturbing cold cases.
On 8 July 1976, Enrico went to Parliament Hill Lido with members of his family. It should have been an ordinary summer afternoon. Instead, he was pulled unconscious from the water and later died in hospital on 19 July.
Police believed Enrico had been involved in an altercation with a group of boys and may have been held underwater. Despite more than 1,100 witness accounts being taken, no one has ever been convicted of his death.
What makes the case so troubling is the setting. This happened in a busy public place, in broad daylight, with people all around. Yet fifty years later, the full truth remains hidden.
In 2016, on the 40th anniversary of his death, cold case officers announced that they would like to see any extra footage taken by the ITV World In Action team, who made a hard-hitting documentary about Enrico’s death. The film—The Very Public Death of Enrico Sidoli—helped spark a soul-searching debate about British society and how much people cared about others. It questioned why a crowded pool with so many potential witnesses did not help prevent Enrico’s death or come forward later to identify his attackers.
Enrico’s case is featured in my book, Unsolved Murders of the UK, where I look more closely at the events of that July afternoon, the investigation that followed, and the questions that still haunt the case today.
Somebody knew what happened at Parliament Hill Lido, and this tragic death can still be solved if those involved come forward.
The person of interest the police would like to speak to. Do you recognise him?
