Lord Lucan was officially declared dead Wednesday after a High Court judge in London granted his death certificate, clearing the way for the British aristocrat and alleged killer's son, George Bingham, to become the next Earl of Lucan.
Lord Lucan, born Richard John Bingham, was the seventh Earl of Lucan when he disappeared Nov. 8, 1974, after family nanny Sandra Rivett was found
murdered in his home, The Telegraph reported. The attacker also severely beat Lord Lucan's estranged wife, Lady Lucan, but she was able to escape to a
nearby pub for help, according to USA Today.
Lord Lucan's vehicle was later found covered in blood and abandoned in Newhaven, East Sussex, and a jury convicted him of the murder at an inquest a year later, The Telegraph said. He was 39 at the time of his disappearance.
Though a court declared him dead in 1999, a death certificate was never turned over. Wednesday's ruling granted George Bingham his father's death certificate
There have reportedly been sightings of Lord Lucan in Australia, Ireland, Africa, and New Zealand over the years. One such sighting claimed he was living as a hippie named
"Jungly Barry" in India, Metro U.K. reported.
Despite his father's mysterious disappearance, the death of his nanny, and assault on his mother, George Bingham has always maintained his father's innocence.
"We do not know how this lovely lady died in 1974, but Neil [Berriman, Sandra Rivett's son] lost a mother and I lost a father," George Bingham said this week, according to The Telegraph. "We still do not know how he met his end."