Camille Gordon (Unsolved Murder)

Camille Gordon travelled from Jamaica to the UK in the early 2000s to fulfill her dream of becoming a nursery school teacher.  In 2003 she moved to London but with course fees and the ever increasing cost of living, Camille had to look round for opportunities to supplement her income. The 23 year old  found work as a hostess at one of Soho's many "Clip Joints".

On the evening of Monday March 1st 2004 Camille was attacked by a man in the doorway of the Blue Bunny Club on Archer Street. She died from a single stab wound to the heart. A man, believed to be a disgruntled customer, was captured by CCTV fleeing the scene, but despite this he has never been identified.

Sources for the episode can be found here

If you have any information about the 2004 murder of 23 year old Camille Gordon you can call the incident room on 020 8785 8267. Information can also be submitted online here at the Public Portal (mipp.police.uk) 

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org

Transcript

Camille Gordon

First of all, I'm sorry there wasn’t an episode two weeks ago. I was ill with a flu type virus which wiped me out for some time. Apologies for that. Also I Just wanted to say thank you to a listener, Matthew who suggested I cover the case of Camille Gordon.

Camille Gordon was a young ambitious woman who wanted to make a difference in the world. Born in Jamaica in the early 1980s, at age 20 the happy and upbeat young woman decided to move to the UK. Camille made this decision because she was unable to study and work part time in her own country, the cost of tuition was just too high. She decided to follow some of her extended family and look for opportunities in England. Camille travelled legally to the UK in 2001 with the aim of training to become a nursery school teacher. Her plan was always to return to the Caribbean once she qualified in order to help support her family, whom she loved dearly. Camille was particularly close with her sister who was one year older and also had aspirations to become a teacher. The pair were best friends and kept in close contact when Camille was overseas.

It wasn't long before Camille was working as a nursery assistant in the city of Birmingham in the midlands. She lived in the inner city area of Handsworth and over the next 18 months worked in various nurseries across the city. During this period Camille attended classes in Early Years Development and Care at Handsworth College. In August 2003 Camille upped sticks and relocated to London in the hope of finding better career opportunities. She went to live with a cousin in South Norwood, Croydon, South London. Camille went job hunting and quickly found a new role as a nursery school assistant.

As I'm sure you are aware, living in London is not cheap, and Camille soon found that she was struggling to survive on her nursery assistant wages. Camille looked around for a means to supplement her income and began searching for vacancies for waitresses in the many restaurants, clubs and bars around central London. After a little while, Camille appeared to find a solution which fitted her needs and paid better than waitressing. Camille began working at the Blue Bunny Bar, situated at number 7 Archer Street in London's Soho district. The Blue Bunny Bar was one of a number of “Clip Joints” that populated the area. I have to admit that before researching this case I had never heard of a “Clip Joint”. I will briefly explain the concept.

London's Soho district was once notorious for its Clip Joints. According to the Observer there were at least 6 Clip Joints in operation in Soho in March 2004, though I have read accounts of up to 20 being in business at this time. While some do still exist today they are not anywhere near as prevalent. Clip Joints continue to thrive in other areas of the world such as Shanghai and Las Vegas. The basic premise of a Clip Joint is built on artifice. 

Clip Joints appear to be strip joints or nightclubs and lure in unsuspecting customers, almost exclusively men, with false promises of watching live sex shows or participating in sexual activities. Instead punters are defrauded through inflated prices or outright scams. These establishments often target tourists and unsuspecting locals, preying on their desire for a night of excitement.

Young women are paid to sit outside these establishments and encourage passing men to come inside and part with their cash. The men pay a small entry fee and then often walk downstairs into a gloomy and sparsely decorated basement lounge area. The punter will then be met by a young woman, their hostess for the night, who will chat and sit with them for a short time. The hostess will typically be fully clothed, wearing jeans and a top rather than a bikini may have been expected. The punter may be encouraged to think a sex show is about to start or even that they will get to have sex with the hostess. Of course this never happens. 

An extortionate bill is soon presented to the customer for the time spent with the hostess. If the punter gets angry and complains it would be pointed out by management or musclebound security guards that the laminated price list was clearly visible on the outside of the building. This of course was true though it would always be small and staff would not draw attention to it. If a punter baulked at the charges or refused to pay, threats of violence or blackmail were used to obtain payment.

As well as racking up charges for spending time with the hostess many gullible punters also assume alcohol will be served at these establishments. This is not the case as the premises are not licensed, only non-alcoholic drinks are served but they are priced astronomically. A round of non-alcoholic beers could set someone back at least £100. Non-alcoholic cocktails are given exotic names like “Blue Lagoon” and “Le Cabaret Special”, with prices from £95-£225. In 2004 it was not uncommon to be charged £160 for a simple fruit juice. Another name for Clip Joints is a “near beer club”, because as long as the drinks served have less than 0.5% alcohol they do not require a license.

In 2004, there were Clip Joints situated on Great Windmill Street, Peter Street, Rupert Street, Charing Cross Road, Brewer Street, Tisbury Court and Archer Street in London's W1 postcode. As no sexual entertainment was ever carried out on the premises, they did not contravene licensing or prostitution legislation. 

Even when it might have been possible to pursue some of these establishments for breaking trading laws, the local authority Westminster council had their hands tied, as it was difficult to find punters to come forward and give evidence. Staff at Clip Joints were regularly arrested on charges of blackmail or extortion but due to embarrassment or intimidation the victims of these scams simply wanted to move on and forget about it. 

In the first two months of 2004 there had been twenty incidents of alleged extortion or blackmail reported in just one of the Clip Joint establishments in Soho. In one case a man was presented with a bill of £600 and in another a disgruntled punter was threatened with violence if he did not cough up £380.

One anonymous owner of a Clip Joint told the Observer in February 2004 that because the council clamped down on licences for showing pornography films or live sex shows he, like many others, had decided to turn to extortion to make money. On a good day a clip joint could earn £2000 (that's not including the wages paid to the women who worked there). The price charged would be based on what the punter looked like they were worth.

It is easy to see how lucrative these ventures could be. According to this anonymous owner, violence was very rarely used to settle a dispute, though I have read plenty of first hand accounts of people being marched to a cashpoint by burly bouncers in order for them to pay their bill.

For a long time police had been powerless to close the Clip Joints down, though they were viewed as a problem. At the end of February 2004, the very day before the tragic events detailed in this podcast episode took place, Soho police announced an initiative to frustrate the practices of Clip Joints. The idea was for police to work with other agencies like the fire brigade, immigration officers, the local council and an investigative unit of the Inland Revenue to clamp down on these nefarious businesses. Indeed they had already succeeded in closing one Clip Joint on Great Windmill Street because they had inadequate fire safety procedures in place.

The police were attempting to find every flaw in the business practices of the Clip Joints and exploit them in order to curtail their operations. The plan was to harass them until they were forced into closing down. Unfortunately this did not happen quickly enough for Camille Gordon. 

A friend later told the Evening Standard (March 4th 2004) that when Camille began working at The Blue Bunny Bar she was naive and did not fully understand what the role entailed. Although she didn't know what she was getting into, once she started and began making good money she decided to stay.

It was possible for a hostess to earn several hundred pounds a shift. There is no way Camille would earn anywhere near that amount tending bar or waitressing. At the Clip Joints there were jobs waitressing but this was not a lucrative position. According to the aforementioned Observer article a hostess would earn around 27% of the punters bill. The girls working as a waitress would earn typically 13% of the hostess wage. Financially there was a huge incentive to work as a hostess.

Some of the other women who worked in the Clip Joints in Soho did have issues with addiction and had engaged in sex work. This was not the case with Camille. She had no links to sex work and she was not involved in drugs. The Independent newspaper (March 6th 2004) said Camille was not typical of the women who worked at Clip Joints.

Camille started work as a hostess at the end of 2003. Her job was usually to sit outside the doorway of the building and entice consumers inside. Many newspaper reports make reference to Camille’s beauty. A colleague and friend told the Evening Standard that Camille was the most beautiful girl she’d ever met. It was for this reason she was put on front door duty.

By the end of February 2004 the now 23 year old Camille had managed to put aside some money and was waiting to enroll on a course that would lead to an early years qualification. Camille was on the verge of fulfilling her dream of becoming a nursery school teacher. All that promise and potential was extinguished on Monday March 1st 2004.

Camille spent the morning of that day in London with a man she knew from her time living in Birmingham. The pair went to a club called Castaways on Peckham High Street, after which the man drove Camille back to her address in South Norwood. In the early evening she made her way to the Blue Bunny for the start of her shift.

Camille was sitting in the doorway of the club when at 6.20pm a man in his mid-twenties arrived and paid the £5 entry fee. Camille went down the steps with the man into the premises and led him to a designated private area. After ten minutes another member of staff approached the man and handed him a bill for £375. This was to cover the ten minutes he had spent with Camille. Just to be clear no sexual contact happened between the two.

Shocked at the amount he was presented with, the disgruntled man said he could not pay in full. He was found to have only £90 on him and after some negotiation it was agreed he could pay £80. He handed over the money and was escorted to the exit by a member of staff.

The man left and walked along Archer Street towards the junction with Rupert Street. A little while later he returned to the Blue Bunny and was greeted by another member of staff. According to information provided by the Metropolitan police the man raised his hands in a submissive manner before again leaving. For a second time he headed on foot towards Rupert Street. 

By 7.10pm Camille was back at her spot at the entrance of the Blue Bunny. It was then that a  man was seen to approach the club and briefly enter the doorway. It happened very quickly, but after a brief altercation with Camille the man hurriedly left in the direction of Great Windmill Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. In that moment Camille let out a blood curdling scream and staggered down the steps into the Blue Bunny. Her colleagues came to her aid and she told them she had been attacked and stabbed in the chest. Camille then sank to the floor and faded into unconsciousness. 

Fellow staff members desperately attempted to administer first aid and within minutes an ambulance arrived. An eyewitness from across the road said the paramedics were working on Camille for some time trying to save her life. She was then taken to University College Hospital and rushed into the operating theatre. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, 23 year old Camille Gordon was pronounced dead at 8.25pm. A post mortem at St Pancras Mortuary on March 3rd showed she died due to a single stab wound to the heart. 

The atmosphere around Soho in the days following Camille's murder was sombre and depressing. Flowers, candles and cards were left outside the Blue Bunny as a tribute to the popular and likable young woman. The club itself was shut and sealed off for forensic teams to complete their work, looking for any clue the killer may have unwittingly left behind. The club itself remained shut and never again reopened.

Many of the young women who worked in the other Clip Joints and clubs in the area did not show up for work. Camille was well known in the locality and no one had a bad word to say about her. She was a friendly figure and recognised by many people who worked close by. A 20 year old friend and fellow employee of the Blue Bunny told the press that when she had first started there, Camile had taken her under her wing. Not all the women that worked there were kind but the friend said Camille was a lovely person with a heart of gold.

Camille’s family in Jamaica were in utter shock. Shortly after the murder Camille’s sister told the media that Camille's death had taken a little piece of soul from everyone. Camille had always been there for her sister when she needed her. The loss was both sudden and gut wrenching. 

The thoughts of Camille's mother and sister were revealed in an interview with the Evening Standard given several months after the murder in June 2004. It's clear from reading the article how much Camille's family loved her and the high regard with which she was held. They described her as a wonderful, kind person who loved to dance and make others happy. 

Camille’s mother and sister were completely unaware that Camille had been supplementing her income by working at the Blue Bunny. Camille's sister believed the responsibility for the murder lay firmly with the man that had committed it but the tactics employed by Clip Joints to illicit money from punters put the women that worked at these establishments at risk. Her grief extended to worry and concern for other young women caught up in this vile business. An atrocity like this could happen again if something wasn't done. 

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Freeman of the Met police Specialist Crime Directorate said the murder was horrific and that Camille had been completely defenseless when she was attacked. He extended his sympathy to Camille's grieving family. 

Initially police said they were uncertain of the motive for the murder but that it may be due to a disgruntled customer. That being said, DCI Freeman also said that they had not ruled out the possibility that it was someone Camille knew personally. Police said it was possible that Camille had been working at other Clip Joints over the previous months. I presume it was looked into whether there had been anyone in the past who had had a disagreement or altercation with Camille at these other establishments. 

As the investigation progressed police seemed sure that Camille was deliberately targeted by the customer because he felt he had been ripped off and was angry. It appeared that Camille had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

A week after the murder police released some grainy CCTV footage of a man running down a street shortly after Camille was attacked. It was believed to be the customer who had argued with Camille and the other staff members at the Blue Bunny. The hope was that someone may recognise the man, or even one of the passersby seen in the footage, who may hold vital information. 

The man seen in the CCTV footage is black and aged between 20 and 25 years old. He stood between 5 ft 5 to 5 ft 8, 165-172 cm. This has been revised to 5 ft 6 to 5 ft 9, 167-175 cm. The man was wearing a dark hooded coat which had a red logo on the front believed to be of Major League Baseball team the “Cleveland Indians”. On his lower half he wore blue jeans and white trainers. On his head he had a hat, possibly a baseball cap with a white stripe.  

Additional CCTV images captured the suspect entering Piccadilly Circus tube  station not long after the murder. The man headed south on the Bakerloo line. Amongst new enhanced images released in October 2024 the man is seen without his hat on and it appears he has a shaved head or very shortly cropped hair. 

When I have been researching older murder cases for this podcast I often think that many would have been solved if they had been committed now because of things like the ubiquitous use of CCTV. In this instance CCTV footage is available but it has failed as yet to identify the suspect. 

The hunt for Camille's killer was named Operation Woodditton. To aid attempts to solve this crime details were released by the Met concerning an incident that happened in the days following the murder.

Two days after the murder, on Wednesday March 3rd, a man walked into Kensington Police station and asked to speak to a CID officer about the murder at the Blue Bunny club. The officer on desk duty went to find a detective but when he returned the man had left. Police would still like to hear from this man. He was a white man 5ft 8, 172 cm, with a skinny build, defined cheekbones and light brown hair. As far as I am aware this man did not make himself known to police and his identity remains a mystery.

In January 2005 the BBC reported that DI Andy Mortimer stated police had still not traced the man from Birmingham who Camille had spent the morning with on the day she died. They wanted to speak with him as he could hold vital information. I do not know if this person was ever traced. This same year a £20,000 reward was established for information that would lead to the case being solved. 

I can find very little information concerning the murder weapon, other than it was a knife. I presume that it has not been found and I have no other details about the type of blade used. There is also the question of whether the killer had the knife on him the whole night or whether he retrieved it from somewhere when he first left the Blue Bunny.

I have not read anything to suggest there are other murders that may be connected to Camille’s. Just a few weeks after Camille's murder another young woman working at a different Clip Joint was assaulted and chased down Wardour Street in Soho, but the incident was unrelated. It did, however, further emphasize the dangerous position these women were being put in by unscrupulous business owners. Other similarly dangerous incidents were reported at Clip Joints in the area. In 2005 local newspaper Westminster Extra, guided by news editor Joel Taylor,  led a campaign to stamp out the Clip Joints.In 2007 by law they were finally forced to register as sexual entertainment premises. 

Over the last two decades police have carried out extensive inquiries but no one has ever been arrested in connection with Camille’s murder and the man seen fleeing the scene on CCTV footage has not been identified.

In October 2024 there was a renewed effort by Met police to bring justice to Camille’s heart broken family. On the 16th of that month during a BBC Crimewatch live episode the police extended their plea for the public to help solve the case. As I briefly mentioned an enhanced version of the CCTV footage was released at this time and a reward of up to £20,000 was again established for information leading to the conviction of the person responsible. 

Detective Inspector Amanda Greig, Met Specialist Casework team, appealed to people who may know the killer to now come forward. Perhaps at the time they had been under pressure or felt intimidated not to say anything. Maybe they felt they owed this person loyalty but allegiances can change. 

There is a distinct possibility the killer has  confided in someone about the murder. Perhaps to unburden their conscience, or maybe even to brag. If this is the case and there is someone sitting on information, now is the time to do something about it and make it right. There is a chance there might even be people who were there that night and witnessed what happened. They too should come forward.

Things have moved on somewhat on Archer Street and a cake shop now stands in the spot once taken by the Blue Bunny. Nevertheless, Camille’s cruel and pointless murder is still remembered by those who live and work in the area, and of course by her family who still seek resolution in this ongoing investigation. 

There were over 200 murders in London in 2004. The vast majority were solved. The killer of Camille is one of only 12 that has eluded the police. There is still time and opportunity for Camille's killer to be brought to account. 

If you have any information about the 2004 murder of 23 year old Camille Gordon you can call the incident room on 020 8785 8267. Information can also be submitted online here at the Public Portal (mipp.police.uk). I'll put a link in the show notes.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

Sources

https://tinyurl.com/5n77u7sn