Cannan, jailed in 1989 for a series of horrific attacks on young professional women, died in his prison cell aged 70 last month.
He was named by cops as the chief suspect in one of Britain's most notorious unsolved crimes, Suzy's 1986 abduction and presumed murder.
Cannan always denied involvement but his own family have said he was a manipulative criminal who revelled in his crimes.
A family member - who the Mirror agreed not to name - said: "On my last visit [to prison] with my mother in 2000, I asked him to own up but I'm afraid he hadn't got it in him to come clean.
"We are 99% sure he was involved in this poor girl's abduction.
"I'm sure John delighted in taking his secrets to the grave and gave him a feeling of perverted power. He was always bereft of responsibility, humility and engulfed in his own deluded selfishness and importance."
This story is from the December 02, 2024 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
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This story is from the December 02, 2024 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
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