THREE men have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a Sutton teenager who went missing 26 years ago.
Lee Boxell, who went missing aged 15, was last seen on Saturday, September 10 1988 near what was then the Tesco store (now Asda) on High Street, Sutton.
Two men, aged 78 and 52 have this morning been arrested on suspicion of murder, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and indecency with children.
A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice while a woman, 42, has also been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and indecency with children.
All four suspects remain in custody at central London police stations.
In February, police offered a £20,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Lee's body, which has never been found, and the prosecution of those involved.
Lee's father, Peter Boxell, said at the time this is hiw "last chance" to find out his son's fate.
He added: "Please don't make us wait any longer; if you have information come forward."
It was initially thought Lee was heading to Selhurst Park to watch Crystal Palace play but new evidence shows he was likely to be headed to Cheam.
It is thought he was visiting an unofficial youth club called 'The Shed' in the grounds of St Dunstan's Church, in Church Lane.
At the launch of the reward offer, Detective Inspector John McQuade said there were two working theories about Lee's disappearance.
The first is that Lee was the victim of a sexual assault that resulted in his death or he tried to intervene to help someone else and was then assaulted.
Three years ago, gravedigger William Lambert, 75, was jailed for 11 years for rape and other sex offences against young girls which took place between 1984 and 1988 in St Dunstan's churchyard.
The police have carried out an intensive archeological excavation of the churchyard over the past couple of years but nothing has been found.
But Det Insp McQuade said at the time: "We remain firmly convinced that the answers are in that graveyard."
